


Neon Genesis Evangelion: Legacy –  Episode VI: Return of Reality

by DarkBluePhoenix



Series: Neon Genesis Evangelion: Legacy [7]
Category: Neon Genesis Evangelion, Rebuild of Evangelion | Evangelion: New Theatrical Edition
Genre: F/F, F/M, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-24
Updated: 2017-12-25
Packaged: 2018-12-26 10:44:27
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 12
Words: 104,247
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12057348
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DarkBluePhoenix/pseuds/DarkBluePhoenix
Summary: It’s time to put the fate of the world on a broken young man named Shinji Ikari. He has one hell of a decision to make, and to be fair, it will be the most important decision he will ever be forced to make. Be careful Misato! Get ready for the fight of your life Asuka! Mari prepare for the end! And, Rei, your destiny awaits you! Shinji, it’s all up to you! Fight to win!





	1. Ode de Joy

Neon Genesis Evangelion: Legacy  
Episode VI: Return of Reality

* * *

Chapter 1 – Ode de Joy  
December 4, 2016 – NERV HQ, Medical Wing

Shinji was walking towards Asuka's hospital room. He planning to surprise her for her birthday, seeing as she was stuck in the hospital, and he had a small wrapped present all picked out for her. As he got to her room, he was in such a rush and didn't knock, and rushed in, present in hand.

"Happy birthday, Asuka!" Shinji said happily.

"Baka, do you know what knocking is?!" Asuka shouted.

"Well, yeah… but…" Shinji muttered.

"Oh, relax." Asuka said. "I'm only kidding. Thanks for remembering my birthday… do you want to sit down, or are you just gonna stand in the doorway all day?"

"I… I'll sit down." Shinji said.

"So, what did you bring me?" Asuka asked.

"Just a little something…" Shinji said as he handed over her present.

Asuka ripped it open and plucked out her gift, a small silver necklace with a little heart shaped pendant on it.

"Shinji… it's… beautiful…" Asuka muttered. "But isn't this a bit much?"

"No… it's something that Rain recommended." Shinji said as he blushed. "I thought it would look nice on you."

"Well, looks like you're gonna be a pretty good boyfriend after all." Asuka joked as she leaned over and kissed Shinji on the cheek. "Thanks, baka…"

"You're welcome, Asuka." Shinji said.

"I have some good news for you, too." Asuka said.

"What?" Shinji asked.

"I'm getting out today, baka." Asuka said. "And from what Kaji told me… you helped fuck up the guy that kidnapped me, so you get to touch these…" Asuka slid her hospital gown from her shoulders and showed Shinji her bare chest. "So, as promised… you get to fondle them all you want."

Shinji's face turned bright red. "Asuka…" Shinji stammered.

"Baka, don't be stupid and turn me down…" Asuka threatened. "You won't get another chance."

Shinji reached out and with his shaking hands and gently grabbed Asuka's boobs. "Wow… they're really soft…"

"You don't have to be so gentle, baka…" Asuka said. "You're not gonna hurt me if you really squeeze them."

"Are you sure?" Shinji asked.

"They're my breasts, Shinji." Asuka said. "I know what hurts and what doesn't… and I know you're a gentle person…"

"Oh, I wish I hadn't forgotten my phone…" Mari said. "Because this is a Kodak moment!"

"MARI!" Asuka screamed as she leapt out of bed and tackled Mari, not realizing her hospital gown had completely come off. "You fucking pervert! I'm going to beat the perverseness right out of you!"

"You might be able to, princess." Mari purred. "But I think you're giving the puppy a bird's eye view of your kitty."

Asuka paused for a moment as she had her hands around Mari's throat and looked at herself, realizing she was entirely nude. She looked back at Shinji, her face red with embarrassment, and saw he had his eyes closed tight. "Baka, did you see?!" Asuka shouted.

"Only… only for a second…" Shinji muttered.

"Oh…" Asuka muttered as her face got redder.

"Please don't hit me, Asuka…" Shinji said nervously. "It was an accident…"

"It's not your fault, baka…" Asuka said in an eerie calm voice. "It's this moron's fault!" Asuka started choking Mari out, making her gasp for air.

"Asuka, don't hurt her." Shinji said. "Even if she did ruin a nice moment."

"Oh yeah… princess…" Mari groaned between strained breaths. "This is… totally… making me wet…"

"Motherfucker!" Asuka shouted as she jumped up. "You're a fucking weirdo!"

"Don't judge princess…" Mari purred as she rubbed her neck. "The puppy will be in for a treat when you give him a handy, you've got a nice firm grip."

Asuka glared as Mari while she grabbed her hospital gown. "You disgust me…" Asuka said as she pulled the gown back on. "Ok, baka, you can open your eyes…"

"I'm sorry, Asuka…" Shinji muttered. "All I wanted was to make your birthday special…"

"Well, you did pretty good, baka." Asuka said. "She's the fucking moron."

"Oh, shit…" Mari muttered. "Puppy, you didn't tell me!"

"Yes I did, you just didn't listen." Shinji said defensively.

"Ok, I may not have heard everything you said this morning…" Mari muttered.

"Figures…" Asuka muttered. "I don't know how you claim to be smart."

"Sorry, princess… I didn't remember." Mari said. "Hope I didn't ruin everything."

"Well, you did." Asuka said angrily. "You always fuck things up, four eyes."

"Sorry…" Mari said sullenly as she turned to leave. "I'll uh… go and see Rei and I'll see you guys at home…"

"Wait a second, Mari." Asuka said.

"Yeah…?" Mari asked.

"Just wait outside and we'll go see Rei together, you big moron." Asuka said. "Just let me, uh… get dressed."

"Thanks, Asuka…" Mari said as she walked outside. "And happy birthday."

"Asuka, I'll wait out there too." Shinji said.

"No, baka, you can watch if you want." Asuka said. "And I wasn't going to say this in front to the pervert, but you didn't have to close your eyes either… I… don't mind…"

"I didn't want to take advantage, Asuka." Shinji said. "But you are very pretty…"

"Stupid Shinji…" Asuka muttered as she blushed again. "You're not supposed to make a girl blush on her birthday…"

* * *

December 5, 2016 – Tokyo–3 Junior High School, Class 2–A

Shinji, Asuka, and Mari were walking to school for the first time in a while. As they got there, Hikari ran up to them.

"Hey guys!" Hikari said. "Hey Asuka, I'm glad you're feeling better!"

"Yeah, still alive." Asuka said. "Though, not so thrilled at being back here."

"Well, you haven't missed much." Hikari said as she squeezed Asuka. "But Shinji and Mari filled us in on everything that happened. I'm so glad you're ok. They didn't hurt you, did they?"

"No, I'm fine." Asuka said. "Baka saved me, then made sure I didn't die."

"Yeah, you lucked out, didn't you, Asuka?" Hikari joked.

"Yeah, I'm lucky…" Asuka said. "So, is that teacher of ours still alive?"

"Yep, he's hanging on by a thread, like usual." Toji said. "And he still hasn't actually taught us anything…"

"It's not like my teacher's any better…" Sakura said. "She only talks about how the weather has changed so much… the last three weeks, she's only talked about snow…"

"Snow?" Shinji asked. "Why? It's too hot for that… I think, right?"

"Yeah, happens when it's cold out." Mari said. "It should be winter for us now, but the weather isn't the same as it used to be…"

"How would you know, stupid?" Asuka asked. "You're only two years older than us!"

"Internet." Mari deadpanned.

"You only use the internet to get off, four eyes." Asuka sneered.

"Still jealous, princess?" Mari asked.

"Why would I be jealous of you, four eyes?" Asuka asked.

"Cause I can get off when I want to…" Mari purred.

"Why do you talk about this shit in public?" Asuka asked. "Do we not give you enough attention at home or something?"

"I just like talking about what I want, princess." Mari quipped. "You're the prude…"

"And you're the huge fucking pervert!"

"I'll admit, this I didn't miss…" Hikari joked.

"Neither did I…" Shinji sighed.

"I kinda did, it's funny." Sakura said brightly.

"Well, buddy, welcome back!" Toji said as he clapped Shinji on the back. "Nice to have my other friend back."

"Thanks, Toji!" Shinji said brightly.

"What about me, Toji…" Kensuke muttered.

"Dude, relax." Toji said. "We're not the three amigos without Shinji here."

"You mean three  _stooges_." Asuka corrected.

"Whatever, Asuka," Toji said.

"Don't start you two…" Hikari muttered as she checked her watch. "Oh, crap!"

"What's up, babe?" Toji asked. "Why do you look so worried?"

"It's getting late, we're gonna miss the bell!" Hikari said frantically as she ran off. "Come on, we can't be late!"

"So glad things haven't changed…" Asuka muttered.

As they all ran to their classroom to see Nebukawa no Sensei standing at the front of the class next to a tall and skinny boy, with silvery white hair and crimson eyes. He was wearing a white button up shirt with an orange t–shirt peeking out from underneath, and black pants. He smiled as they came in the room.

**_♪Ding dong ding ding… ding dong ding ding♪_ **

"Ah, just in time." Nebukawa no Sensei said. "Take your seats, and then I'll introduce our new student."

Asuka took her seat, eyeing the new boy wearily, as she had a feeling in the pit of her stomach that there was something off with the boy.

'Those eyes… just like wundergirl… but they seem more… evil…' Asuka thought. 'Is he related to her or something? Like the weird cousin…'

"Well young man, introduce yourself to the class." Nebukawa no sensei said.

"Hello everyone." Kaworu said calmly as his crimson eyes rested looked directly at Shinji. "My name is Kaworu Nagisa, it's a pleasure to meet everyone."

–––

Once again, Nebukawa no Sensei bored the class into a stupor. However, the only person still paying full attention to anything, was Kaworu. He was looking right at the back of Shinji's head, waiting to introduce himself to the boy he'd met so many times before.

**_♪Ding dong ding ding… ding dong ding ding♪_ **

Kaworu took his chance when the bell rang and decided to go introduce himself for what felt like the millionth time to Shinji. Kaworu took a deep breath as he walked over to calm his jittery nerves.

"Hello there." Kaworu said. "Are you… Shinji Ikari?"

"Yeah, he's Shinji Ikari, who's asking?" Mari asked.

"I don't know if you were paying attention when I introduced myself, but I'm Kaworu Nagisa… I'm not familiar with you…"

"Why would you be?" Mari asked. "You're new here…"

"Oh, I simply misspoke, miss." Kaworu said.

"Well, how do you know Shinji?" Mari asked.

"As a fellow EVA pilot I would know the famous Shinji Ikari." Kaworu said.

"Funny… I don't remember you being at our little pilot meetings." Mari said.

"Our…?" Kaworu asked. 'Who is this girl?' Kaworu thought. 'She's not familiar… she… doesn't belong.' Kaworu smiled and did his best to come up with a convincing lie. "At my NERV Branch, they only ever talked about Shinji. Not about any of the other pilots…"

"Well, then your branch is full of assholes." Asuka said. "They didn't mention the antics of Mari Makinami, the selflessness of Rei Ayanami, or the badassary of Asuka Langley Soryu?"

"No, besides, I'm only interested in Shinji anyway." Kaworu said.

"Really…" Asuka muttered.

"Wait, so you're an EVA pilot too?" Shinji asked.

"Yes, I'm a reserve pilot." Kaworu said. "With the lack of EVAs, I'm only to be used if the other pilots are deemed… unfit for duty…"

"Well, we're all fit for duty pal." Asuka said angrily.

"Well, besides Rei anyway…" Mari said. "But she's on medical leave."

"And me too." Toji said. "The doc said the other day that I was cleared for the sync tests again. Not that I'm thrilled about that…"

'So, this oaf survived this time… intact even…' Kaworu thought. 'And the redheaded whore isn't in a coma… what is going on around here… is I that large bosomed one? Is she what's effected everything this severely?' Kaworu smiled. "Well then, it appears the load of us are all colleagues."

"Great… another pilot…" Asuka muttered.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Nagisa–san."

"Please, Ikari–san, call me Kaworu." Kaworu said. "And if you'll allow me, I'd like to call you Shinji…"

"Why not?" Shinji said. "It's nice to meet you, Kaworu."

"Yes, it's very nice to meet you too… Shinji." Kaworu said. "If you don't mind, seeing as I'm new to town, perhaps you could show me around after school."

"Sure, I don't mind." Shinji said happily. "I'd do anything to help."

"Thank you very much, Shinji." Kaworu said. "Now… could I trouble you for some directions to the cafeteria?"

"Sure, no problem." Shinji said. "Why don't I show you?"

"That would be… wonderful…" Kaworu said.

"Well, let's go." Shinji said as he stood up. "You don't want all the good food to be gone on your first day." Shinji motioned for Kaworu to follow him, which Kaworu gladly accepted.

As the pair left the room, Asuka and Mari exchanged looks.

"I don't trust him." Asuka said.

"I agree." Mari replied. "Something doesn't feel right…"

"Weird, we agree on something." Asuka said. "But I know when I was in Germany, all they could talk about was the other EVA pilots. And why do we even need a reserve pilot?"

"No idea… and I don't think miso knows either, she would have mentioned something…" Mari said.

"Well, I just hope Shinji gets the same vibe we are." Asuka said.

"I doubt it, he's too trusting and kind to think like that." Mari replied. "And that could lead us to some kind of trouble…"

* * *

December 7, 2016 – Comfort 17 Apartments

Asuka and Mari were lounging around the in the living room while Shinji was in the kitchen. Misato came home to the harsh stares of both girls after having been greeted warmly by Shinji, she wasn't expecting a warm welcome considering the news she had received late the previous morning about Kaworu's arrival, leaving her no time to warn the kids about meeting him.

"So, you didn't come home last night, miso." Mari said. "How long did you know?"

"Know what?" Misato asked.

"Don't play dumb with us, woman." Asuka said. "How long before school did you know about that weirdo?"

"I got the paperwork on my desk from Ritsuko after you guys started school." Misato replied. "I had no time to tell you."

"And then you hid at work… for two days." Asuka said. "Smart move, Misato."

"Well, I was tired, and I didn't want to deal with this…" Misato said.

**_♪DING DONG♪_ **

"I'll get it!" Shinji called from the kitchen. "It's Kaworu, I promised to show him around the city this afternoon."

"Is he coming in?" Mari called back.

"No, but I'll be back in a few hours!" Shinji said happily. "See you guys later!"

"Hey, baka, what's for dinner?" Asuka asked.

"Just get takeout." Shinji said. "I might not be back in time to cook!"

"Wonderful…" Asuka muttered.

"Why is that a bad thing?" Misato asked.

"We don't trust him, miso." Mari said. "I keep getting a weird vibe from him… and the puppy just doesn't see it."

"Because even after everything Shinji's gone through, he doesn't think like that." Misato replied. "Why are you surprised?"

"We're not surprised." Asuka said. "We're worried."

"Because of the bad vibes." Misato said.

"Yeah, he's just too weird, and his story doesn't add up." Mari said. "He's never heard of any of us, yet he knows Shinji… and the way he says his name is…"

"Fucking creepy." Asuka finished. "Like some kind of degenerate pervert."

"Maybe he has a crush." Misato said.

"No, it's not that." Mari replied. "We can identify a crush, he's got like an obsession or something. He's always butting in now."

"And he's not cooking for us." Asuka said. "He loves cooking."

"And how long has he known Mr. Nagisa?" Misato asked.

"Two days." Asuka replied.

"And how long was it before you and Shinji were best friends?" Misato asked.

"A few weeks I guess." Asuka said.

"An afternoon." Mari replied.

"So his budding friendship with Mr. Nagisa isn't out of the ordinary." Misato said.

"Still, we don't like it." Mari said. "Not one bit."

"And for us to agree on something, it has to be pretty serious." Asuka concluded.

–––

Gendo was sitting in his office. He was waiting for a report from Fuyutsuki that had made Gendo uneasy. Gendo wasn't surprised by much anymore, but this latest news was a surprise. As Fuyutsuki reentered the room with Kaji, Gendo took his sunglasses off and looked directly at Fuyutsuki.

"By the look on your face, it is true." Gendo said.

"Yes, it appears that SEELE has sent us a pilot." Fuyutsuki said. "The boy shares some unique characteristics."

"He looks an awful lot like Rei." Kaji added.

"So… he may be a plant." Gendo said. "This is highly unorthodox for them. They are generally far less direct in their attacks."

"Except the time they cut the power." Kaji quipped.

"Well, we also have another issue." Fuyutsuki said. "He could be an Angel."

"Well, that would be unfortunate." Gendo said. "But their scrolls do make mention of an infiltrator attacking from within… he could be that infiltrator Angel, the one hiding amongst the sheep."

"It would make sense." Kaji said. "They always follow the same modus operandi… always for those damn Dead Sea Scrolls."

"So, then we should be prepared for something interesting to happen." Gendo said. "If the boy is an Angel, he will eventually make an attempt to make it to Terminal Dogma… he will be drawn there."

"Yes, he is certainly going to be a problem." Fuyutsuki said. "I don't like how he was dropped on us at the last moment."

"I believe Ritsuko had something to do with that." Kaji said. "Misato told me she got his transfer paperwork after the kids had arrived at school Monday morning."

"Why is that an issue?" Fuyutsuki asked.

"The paperwork was dated for last Monday." Kaji said. "Ritsuko knew about it and hid it from us. She's going to become a problem."

"We'll deal with her in time." Gendo said. "Don't worry about that."

"But you're definitely right about that boy, Commander." Kaji said.

"Why is that, Inspector Kaji?" Fuyutsuki asked.

"Because, his birthday is September 13, 2000…" Kaji started.

"Second Impact." Gendo said.

"How…" Fuyutsuki asked. "He wasn't on the shortlist of candidates."

"No, but he seems to be now." Kaji said. "And what's even more coincidental, his time of birth matches that of the start of the event."

"That's far too many coincidences for me." Gendo said.

"Don't worry sir, Section 2 and Misato will be keeping eyes on the boy." Kaji replied. "And so will I."

–––

Shinji and Kaworu were walking down the main street. Shinji was his usual self, trying to point out as many interesting places Kaworu may enjoy.

"Shinji, you're a very kind person." Kaworu said. "You're certainly very polite to people you've just met."

"Oh, it's no problem." Shinji said. "I just like helping where I can."

"You seem like a very happy person." Kaworu said. "That's impressive, considering your job."

"Well, I have my girlfriend, Asuka." Shinji said. "And I have all my friends too. There are plenty of reasons to be happy."

'Friends?' Kaworu thought. 'He can't have friends… he's supposed to be despondent by now… what the hell is going on!'

"What about you, Kaworu?" Shinji asked. "Do you have any friends?"

"Well, no." Kaworu said. "I never really had any growing up… I liked to keep to myself." Kaworu paused. "Are you my friend Shinji?" Kaworu asked.

"Yeah, I'm your friend, Kaworu." Shinji replied.

"Oh… Thank you Shinji…" Kaworu said. "That's very kind of you to say." Kaworu said as he started humming.

"Is that Ode de Joy you're humming?" Shinji asked.

"Oh, you know that song?" Kaworu asked. "Do you enjoy music?"

"Well, yeah." Shinji said. "I love music."

"Look at that… something we have in common." Kaworu said. "It's good for friends to have something in common, right?"

"Well, yeah…" Shinji said. "But it's not a requirement."

"Oh, that's good to know." Kaworu said. "Shinji, what do you think about music?"

"I just like it." Shinji said. "It's just great to listen to."

"What about all the raw emotion in music?" Kaworu asked. "It's quite fascinating how composers put so much of themselves on the page."

"I never really thought about it before." Shinji said.

"Huh, well, maybe we can spend the night together some night and talk all about music." Kaworu said.

"Actually, I have a better idea." Shinji said. "Do you like karaoke?"

"Karaoke?" Kaworu asked.

"You go and sing songs." Shinji said. "It'll be fun."

"Whatever you say, Shinji." Kaworu said. 'I'll follow you anywhere…' Kaworu thought. "Oh, Shinji, can we talk while we karaoke?"

"Of course." Shinji said. "What about?"

"Oh… all sorts of things." Kaworu said. "I want to know as much as I can about the famous Shinji Ikari."

* * *

December 11, 2016 – NERV HQ

It was another fantastic morning filled with sync tests. It was an especially busy day for everyone, because in addition to their usual three pilots, Toji and Kaworu were now present for the tests, so there was a lot more activity than usual. Misato was overseeing the tests, and was bit nervous having the new boy there, and also hoping that Toji was alright with going back in an Entry Plug considering what had happened before.

"How's everyone doing?" Misato asked.

"Shinji's at the top again." Maya said. "Although his sync has dropped a bit, he's at 87.2% overall… a whole 12% drop."

"Probably the stress of wondering if everyone we sent home got back ok." Misato said.

"Still, he'll be back up in the nineties soon enough." Ritsuko said. "Once he gets them off his mind."

"What about the rest?" Misato asked.

"Well, Mari is down a bit." Maya said. "And Asuka has dropped a whole lot. The new kid has a respectable 40% sync rate… and poor Toji… he's at 4.4%"

"Toji's definitely nerves." Misato said. "And his scores were never high to begin with. At least he moved the needle."

"Yes, well, that girl is a disgrace. Thank god we have a reserve pilot now to take Unit–02 from her." Ritsuko said.

"We have Mari and Rei, we don't need some other kid." Misato grumbled.

"Whatever, Misato." Ritsuko said. "Thankfully, your attachment to those malcontents out there, their positions as pilots aren't your decision." Ritsuko said angrily. "If you had your way, we'd keep Asuka on even though her scores keep dropping."

"Because she's a great pilot." Misato said angrily.

"Thankfully, that's only your  _opinion_ , and not rooted in fact." Ritsuko said as she flipped on the comm. "That's why I'm putting her on the reserve list."

" _Who's going on the reserve list?_ " Shinji asked.

" _Yeah, what the fuck?_ " Mari asked.

"Asuka, because of your dropping sync score, I'm pulling you from active duty." Ritsuko said venomously. "Unless you can pull your score up significantly, Kaworu will be replacing you as the pilot of Unit–02."

" _What were the scores?!_ " Asuka demanded.

"Shinji, 87.2%… Kaworu, 40%… Asuka, 37.1%… Mari, 34.3%… and Toji, 4.4%." Ritsuko replied. "Unless you can get a better score than the Fifth Child, your days as an EVA pilot are over."

" _Fuck you!_ " Asuka shouted.

"The test is done, you're all free to go." Ritsuko said in a falsely sweet tone.

"Why the fuck did you do that?" Misato asked through gritted teeth.

"To put the damn girl in her place." Ritsuko said. "She needs to be taught a lesson in humility, and this is the only way."

Misato grabbed Ritsuko by her shirt collar. "No… it's the same vindictive shit you've been pulling for months!" Misato shouted in her ear. "I'm done with your bullshit… I'm reporting your abusive fucking nonsense to the Commander, and he'll set your ass straight. And if you ever pull that shit again, I don't know what I'll do, but I can promise you'll regret messing with Asuka's head."

"Not much to mess with when you've seen your mother's slit throat up close is there?" Ritsuko replied.

SLAP

Misato had backhanded Ritsuko so harshly that she had ended up on the ground. "Get… the fuck… out of my sight." Misato said through heavy breaths. "Otherwise you're gonna end up needing medical attention."

"Fine, my job is done here anyway." Ritsuko said callously as she left.

"Colonel…" Maya said. "Was that… true?"

Misato sighed. "Unfortunately… yes." Misato replied. "However, that information is not for public consumption, and contrary to what Dr. Fucktard Akagi thinks, it will not be talked about to anyone, ever. Is that understood?"

"Yes, ma'am." Maya said.

"Good." Misato said gruffly. "Now get those kids out of there… I think they've had enough for today."  
–––

After her Test Plug had opened, Asuka ran off to the bathroom without looking back. She was furious with Ritsuko once again for making her look like a fool in front of everyone, and for making Asuka question her identity as an EVA pilot. She ran into the closest bathroom and ran to the nearest toilet, violently vomiting up the contents of her stomach, and some chunks of LCL that had solidified when he inhaled them wrong. When she was done retching, she went to closest sink and rinsed her face off, and looked in the mirror, her face pale.

"THAT FUCKING CUNT!" Asuka screamed as she shattered the mirror with her fist. "WHO THE FUCK DOES SHE THINK SHE IS?! UNIT–02 IS MY EVANGELION… NOT THAT SILVER HAIRED ASSHOLES!"

"I HATE THAT STUPID CUNT!" Asuka screamed as she slammed her fist into the mirror again, this time getting some of the glass to break away and fall out of the frame. "THAT NEW KID IS SUCH A SMUG FUCK TOO! I BET THAT FUCKING CUNT IS THE ONE THAT BROUGHT HIM HERE!"

"I presume you mean me, Ms. Soryu." Kaworu said calm from the doorway.

"WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING HERE?!" Asuka roared. "WHY ARE YOU IN THE GIRL'S BATHROOM YOU FUCKING PERVERT, GET THE FUCK OUT OF MY FACE!"

"Well, that's no way to talk to your boyfriend's friend, now is it?" Kaworu asked.

"WHO THE FUCK ASKED FOR YOUR SANCTIMONIOUS OPINION, ARSCHLOCH?!" Asuka screamed. "GO FUCK OFF SOMEWHERE ELSE AND LEAVE ME AND MY BAKA THE FUCK ALONE!"

"See… I don't get it." Kaworu said as he slowly but confidently approached Kaworu. "Why do you call Shinji baka… he's not stupid, so why call him something he's not."

"IT'S NONE OF YOUR FUCKING BUSINESS, ARSCHLOCH!" Asuka screamed.

"Oh, but it is, Ms. Soryu…" Kaworu said. "You're no good for my Shinji–kun… and I think you're rather ruse to him, even though you claim to love him… the only love I see in your relationship comes from him… and I don't understand what he can see in such a weak individual like you."

"I SAID GET THE FUCK AWAY FROM ME!" Asuka screamed.

"Why?" Kaworu asked. "You'll be the one going away soon enough… just like always… when your sync score drops again, you'll be through… and Shinji will be all mine."

"WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?!" Asuka shouted.

"That Shinji deserves better than a weak, useless bitch like you." Kaworu said. "That you're nothing but a drain on his kindness with your constant need for attention and adoration. He needs someone that cares about him, not some fool who only cares about himself…"

"I LOVE HIM!" Asuka screamed as she charged Kaworu and slammed him into the wall, cracking some of the tiles behind his head. "AND IF YOU TRY AND DO ANYTHING TO HIM, I WILL FUCKING EVISCERATE YOU!"

"I doubt it." Kaworu said. "You're no match for me, Asuka Langley Soryu…"

Asuka slammed her knee into Kaworu's gut, causing him to double over in agony and fall to the floor. "YEAH, NO MATCH FOR YOU MY ASS!" Asuka shouted as she kicked him again while he was on the ground. "IF YOU EVER TALK TO MY SHINJI AGAIN, YOU'LL REGRET IT!"

Kaworu stood up and glared at Asuka. "Well, don't we have some fight in us after all." Kaworu said mockingly as he got right in Asuka's face. "Shame all that anger can't help improve your sync score… I bet when your score drops they'll ship you off back to whatever backwards country you came from, where trash like you belongs."

SLAP

Kaworu had slapped Asuka so hard, he left a hand print on her face. "Don't ever touch me again, Asuka." Kaworu said. "Because next time, I'm not holding back."

"WHY YOU FUCKING INGRATE!" Asuka shouted as she raised her fist for a right hook, and connected with Kaworu's jaw.

"See, you're going to regret that, Asuka." Kaworu said as he slammed his fist into her gut. "That hurts, doesn't it… I hope it does…"

"I'm so telling Shinji about what his new friend is like…" Asuka mumbled. "Then he'll fix your ass for talking to me like this…"

"Go ahead… Shinji won't believe you though. He'll just think you're overreacting to what Dr. Akagi said." Kaworu said mockingly as Asuka struggled to breathe. "He likes me so much, he won't believe your lies… all because he doesn't really love you… he just wants to fuck you and lose his virginity to the resident whore of Babylon."

"FUCK YOU!" Asuka screamed as she left.

"One down…" Kaworu said maliciously as Asuka ran off to find Shinji. "Two to go before there's absolutely nothing between me and my Shinji–kun…"  
–––

Asuka was looking for Shinji. She had tears in her eyes after running away from Kaworu. When she saw the boy's locker room, she burst in and saw Shinji and Toji changing.

"Shinji!" Asuka cried. "Shinji!"

"Hey, Asuka, what's wrong? Why are you crying?" Shinji asked. "Is it what Dr. Akagi said again? Don't worry about her…"

"No, it's not about her!" Asuka said. "It was… it was Kaworu!"

"What?" Shinji asked confusedly. "What did Kaworu do?"

"He… he followed me to the… bathroom and started making fun of me!" Asuka said in between sobs. "He said I wasn't good enough to be an EVA pilot… and said I didn't… I didn't deserve Unit–02… and that I don't deserve… you! He said I'm not good enough for you, Shinji! Because I call you my baka!"

"Asuka…" Shinji said.

"Why would he say that, Shinji?!" Asuka cried. "I love you! Why would he say I'm not good enough for you?! You… you love me, don't you?! You don't mind that I call you baka, right Shinji?!"

"Of course I love you, Asuka… and I like when you call me baka…" Shinji replied sweetly. "But are you sure Kaworu said exactly those things? It doesn't sound like him."

"Shinji, you've only known him a few days!" Asuka said frantically. "Why don't you believe me?!"

"Asuka… Dr. Akagi just told you that Kaworu was going to replace you." Shinji said. "And I know you love piloting and everything… but…"

"Don't say it, Shinji!" Asuka shouted sorrowfully.

"Asuka… I think you're over reacting a bit and making Kaworu out to be the bad guy…" Shinji said. "He's a nice person. It's Dr. Akagi that the bad guy here…"

"Shinji, why won't you believe your girlfriend over some asshole you just met?!" Asuka shouted angrily. "How can you tell me you love me if you won't believe me?!"

"Asuka, it's just not like him." Shinji said. "He's too nice."

"BULLSHIT!" Asuka roared. "He said all kinds of nasty things to me and you don't believe me! What kind of boyfriend are you?!"

"Asuka…" Shinji started.

"NO, don't talk to me, you fucking arschloch!" Asuka screamed. "I FUCKING HATE YOU! We're though, Shinji, don't you ever talk to me again! I can't be with someone who thinks I'm a liar!"

Shinji walked towards Asuka. "Asuka… wait… I don't…" Shinji said as calmly as he could.

SLAP

"I said stay the fuck away from me!" Asuka screamed. "Don't talk to me, don't look at me, and never try to touch me again, or… OR YOU'LL FUCKING REGRET IT!"

"Asuka, wait!" Shinji cried as Asuka stormed out of the locker room. "ASUKA!"

"Shinji, buddy…" Toji said. "You fucked that up."

"How?" Shinji asked. "Kaworu's a nice…"

"Shinji, Asuka's a hot head, and a little crazy sometimes, and she can be downright mean too." Toji said. "But she never lies about anything. You really screwed up a good thing…"

"But…" Shinji stammered.

"Shinji, you always believe what the woman you love tells you." Toji said. "That's part of the trust you two should have… if Hikari told me anything like that, I would have believed her… you can't just disregard things like that man… that Kaworu character is a bit off…"

"He's just different, like Rei." Shinji said.

"No, Rei was innocent." Toji said. "She was naïve… that guy, he's seen a lot. He's got a thousand yard stare like some soldier who's been through war… and he's always staring right at you."

"So?" Shinji asked.

"Shinji, you're too nice to see what's right in front of you." Toji said.

"But Kaworu is a nice guy." Shinji said defiantly. "He's just like me."

"Nah man, he wears the mask of sanity." Toji said. "Like those serial killers."

"Look, I can understand Asuka not liking him, but you?" Shinji asked. "That's a surprise."

"Shinji, I'm just getting weird vibes from the guy." Toji said. "And if half of what Asuka said was true, then he's a bad egg you need to back away from."

"He's my friend!" Shinji said. "And I'm his only friend… I'm not leaving him alone like that! I know what it's like to be alone like that, and if you don't like it, too bad!" Shinji said angrily as he grabbed his stuff and left Toji standing there all alone.

"Damn… he is getting played…" Toji said. "I just hope he figures it out before it's too late to do anything about it…"

–––

Asuka was hiding in her room. She had slammed the door so hard when she got home, the door was off its sliding rails. She threw herself on her bed and started crying.

"Stupid Shinji, why doesn't he believe me!" Asuka shouted. "It's not fair, I knew him fist, he's supposed to trust me when I tell him something!"

"A… Asuka…?" Mari asked.

"What?!" Asuka screamed.

"Are… are you ok?" Mari asked.

"No, I'm not, Mari." Asuka said. "Just leave me alone."

"Why would I do that?" Mari asked. "You need me right now… Shinji's wrong. I know you wouldn't lie about something like that."

"I… why didn't he believe me!" Asuka screamed.

Mari sat down on Asuka's bed and Asuka and held her close. "I don't know, Asuka." Mari said soothingly. "I don't know."

"It's that… that fucking Kaworu!" Asuka sobbed. "He's tricked my Shinji into thinking I'm not good enough for him!"

"Asuka… it's ok to cry…" Mari said consolingly. "Let it all out and I'll see what I can do, ok?"

"I don't want you to do anything!" Asuka shouted. "I hate Shinji! I dumped his stupid ass for not believing me!"

"Asuka…" Mari muttered quietly while Asuka sobbed in her arms. 'Why did you go and do that? It's not all Shinji's fault… it's that damn kid's…' Mari thought while she sighed. 'Now what am I going to do? I wish Yui and Kyoko were here… they'd be able to fix this mess…'

* * *

December 12, 2016 – NERV HQ, Medical Wing

Mari and Shinji were waiting outside Rei's hospital room. Mari was standing awkwardly next to him, trying not to bring up the obvious question on her mind about him and Asuka. They had been told that morning by Misato that Rei was being woken up, and that her friends should be there, and Asuka, who was in no condition to be around anyone, refused to go anywhere, and told Mari to make sure Shinji knew to stay away from her. So there they waited until the doctors came out of the room and said they could go in.

Shinji and Mari nervously walked into Rei's room. She was sitting up in bed, a blank stare on her face. Rei had on a litany of bandages, wrapping her head, left eye, right arm, and her legs. She didn't acknowledge their presence, but that didn't stop Mari from going up to her with tears in her eyes.

"Blueberry!" Mari said through her tears of joy. "I'm so glad you're awake, it's been so long!" Mari very gingerly hugged the poor, bandaged girl. "Welcome back to the land of the living… I've… you've had me worried sick."

"I am sorry…" Rei said. "But who are you?"

"W… wh… what?" Mari stammered.

"Who are you?" Rei repeated. "And why are you touching me?"

All Mari could do was back away from Rei slowly with tears in her eyes. With one final look at Rei, she ran out of the room, trying her best not to be seen crying.

"Who was that odd girl?" Rei asked.

To Be Continued

* * *

A/N: I do not own Evangelion or any of the characters, GAINAX and the other distributors of NGE related material do. I am simply using them as a backdrop for my fanfic.

Sync Score Rankings!  
Shinji – 87.2% (-12.0%)  
Rei – 75.0% (No Change)  
Kaworu – 40.0% (New)  
Asuka – 37.1% (-15.2%)  
Mari – 34.3% (-7.7%)  
Toji – 4.4% (New)

In case you're wondering why there's a two month time skip, there was a crossover between Episode V and Episode VI titled Gundam invasion which ties into the storyline of NGE: Legacy.

Now for the meat of this story. Kaworu is here for a while, until Chapter 3 that is. Figured he deserved a bit more time than the show gave him. He's been around for a long time, and has seen Shinji more than once in his life. So, he's finally descried that Shinji will be his, no matter how he does it. And that requires him to be a bit ruthless. Seeing as things are so different, his attacks on Asuka and Rei will be a bit different, and taking down Mari will require some unique thinking on his part, as she is an unexpected variable.

As for everyone's suspicions of him, Mari and Asuka have a better gauge on people than Shinji does. Shinji, for all his faults, is a very trusting and happy person at heart, and he likes meeting new people, so for him. As for everyone else, they know something is wrong, and while Gendo, Fuyutsuki, and Kaji have an idea of what it is, everyone else is in the dark about Kaworu's true intentions.

As for Shinji and Asuka's relationship… this isn't quite the end of it, but Asuka's reaction wasn't exactly over the top, personally, Shinji should have put more stock into what she was saying, but Kaworu is super nice to Shinji, so he can't see that he's being played like a cheap ass fiddle.

As I said before, and will always say at the end of chapter, please leave comments, as I would like to try to improve the story going forward any way I can. And, hell, constructive criticism is a good thing.

* * *

つづく


	2. I Am Not the One You Know

Neon Genesis Evangelion: Legacy  
Episode VI: Return of Reality

* * *

Chapter 2 – I Am Not the One You Know  
December 12, 2016 – NERV HQ, Medical Wing

Rei was staring blankly at Shinji as Mari ran out of the room, barely stifling her sobs as she did. Rei had a blank look on her face, like when Shinji had first met her. She didn't seem like herself, which worried Shinji.

"Rei?" Shinji asked.

"Was that her name?" Rei asked.

"No, that's your name." Shinji said. "Her name was Mari."

"Oh… well…" Rei said. "Who are you?"

"I'm Shinji…" Shinji muttered. "I'm your friend…"

"But I don't know you either." Rei said. "How can we be friends?"

"I…" Shinji stammered. "You don't remember what happened to you?"

"What happened to me?" Rei asked.

"You got hurt trying to saving to save us all…" Shinji said. "You almost died, he thought you had for a while there…"

"So… I am the third…" Rei muttered. "It wasn't a dream…"

"What?" Shinji asked.

"Nothing of concern." Rei replied. "Could you leave? I would like to be alone."

"Sure, Rei…" Shinji said sullenly. "I'm glad you're back."

As Shinji walked out of the room, Rei's blank look became one of concern and sorrow.

"So, I did die that day…" Rei said to herself. "But I can't let them know that… I have too much to process. Another death… another horrific death…"

Rei shuttered at the vivid memories of her slow and painful death, flashes of her time inside the sweltering Entry Plug, the smell and feel of her flesh burning and cooking, her insides boiling, and the agonizing pain and loneliness she felt.

"No… they mustn't know what happened…" Rei said. "No matter how much it hurts them, I need to keep my distance. Especially Mari… I should never have admitted my feelings for her when I cannot understand and interpret my feelings…"

–––

After leaving Rei's room, Shinji was upset and worried.

'Why couldn't she remember us?' Shinji thought. 'Does she have amnesia? And poor Mari… she looked heartbroken… I need to find her.'

Shinji pulled out his phone and dialed Mari. "Straight to voicemail…" Shinji muttered. "Damn it Mari, where are you?"

As Shinji was looking around, he came across Kaworu coming out of the elevator.

"Shinji… how nice to see you." Kaworu said.

"Hey, Kaworu." Shinji replied. "How are you?"

"Much better now." Kaworu said. "You look worried, Shinji–kun… is something wrong?"

"Yeah, I'm looking for Mari." Shinji said. "She's a bit upset right now."

'Ah the big breasted fool is upset…' Kaworu thought. 'Good… perhaps I can use this to my advantage…' Kaworu put on a convincing worried face. "Is there anything I can do?"

"Have you seen her?" Shinji asked.

"Oh… I'm afraid not, Shinji–kun." Kaworu said. "But if I see her, I'll let you know."

"Thanks, Kaworu." Shinji said. "You're a good friend."

'If you only knew how close I wanted to be, Shinji–kun.' Kaworu thought as he smiled. "Just trying to help the best way I can, Shinji–kun."

As Shinji rushed off again, he tried to think where Mari would hide. 'Oh… she loves the smell of LCL, so she's probably in the Cage…'

Shinji quickly changed direction and headed for the Cage. He looked around for Mari and didn't see her near Unit–01 or Unit–02.

"I wonder if she's over here…" Shinji muttered as he walked past where the active Evangelions were to the cold storage section Unit–01 had been placed after the fight with the Fourteenth Angel. He looked around and saw a few things in the heavily armored and extremely chilled Isolation Cages. One had the remnants of Unit–03 inside, its heavily damaged exterior giving Shinji a chill down his spine.

"Best not think about that now…" Shinji muttered as he walked past the next two rooms. The first was the room the Unit–00 ripped apart over a year before, and the second was the one Shinji ripped out of during the Fifteenth Angel's attack. Shinji then peered into the next room and found the half assembled Unit–XP. Its armor was mostly there, with some patches of flesh where the armor hadn't been reattached yet. Its cybernetic limbs were disassembled and looked like they were in pretty bad shape.

"That's pretty cool…" Shinji said. "But I don't think Mari would be looking there."

Finally, Shinji found Mari where he thought she was, near what appeared to be the recovered remains of Unit–00. Shinji saw the charred and half destroyed Entry Plug, bits and pieces of Unit–00 that weren't obliterated by the blast, and the Evangelion's Core.

"Wow… I'm surprised that much survived…" Shinji said. "Rei's lucky to be alive."

Shinji saw Mari standing in front of Unit–00's displaced Core. He walked down the catwalk and walked up behind Mari.

"Mari…?" Shinji asked.

"Why did she have to do it, Shinji?" Mari asked. "Why did she have to go and lose her memory?"

"I don't know, Mari." Shinji said. "Are… are you ok?"

"I… I don't know, Shinji…" Mari said in a shaky voice.

"Well, you're calling me by my name, so it can't be good." Shinji replied.

"Well… yeah…" Mari said. "I just want to go and die, Shinji… if I don't have Rei to love, what point is there in being here?"

"You still have me." Shinji said reassuringly.

"That's not the same, Shinji." Mari replied. "You just broke Asuka's heart… how do I know you won't do that to me? I can only handle one person breaking my heart… and Rei just did that…"

"Mari, Rei will remember in time, you just have to be patient." Shinji said reassuringly.

"And what if she doesn't remember?" Mari asked. "What then, Shinji… WHAT THEN?!"

Shinji took a step back from Mari out of shock. "I… I don't know…" Shinji muttered. "You just have to believe she'll get better…"

"Shinji… I think it would be best if you left me alone right now…" Mari said coldly. "I don't really want to talk to anybody right now…"

"Mari, I'm only trying…" Shinji began.

"Shinji, just get away from me!" Mari shouted as Shinji noticed tears streaming down her face. "You're just making things worse!"

"Fine… I'll go…" Shinji said as he left and heard Mari break down, sobbing uncontrollably. "I'm sorry, Mari… I wish I could help…"

* * *

December 15, 2016 – NERV HQ, Living Quarters

Kaworu was relaxing in his room. He had decided against staying in the outside world for several reasons, one being that he enjoyed the isolation, and secondly, he liked the proximity to what he assumed was Adam. It gave him a warm and comforting feeling he hadn't been able to experience in Berlin. Kaworu was also waiting for Shinji to arrive, as Shinji was kind enough to come and meet Kaworu at his humble abode.

"Shinji–kun all to myself…" Kaworu muttered. "And such an intimate setting too."

**_♪DING DONG♪_ **

"Ah… speak of the Angel…" Kaworu said as he answered the door. "Hello, Shinji–kun."

"Hi, Kaworu." Shinji said quietly.

"Is something wrong?" Kaworu asked as he guided Shinji inside.

"No, it's just been a long few days." Shinji said.

"Well, I'm here to listen if you need someone to talk to." Kaworu said kindly.

"Yeah… it's about Rei." Shinji said.

'Ah… Lilith's corrupted soul…' Kaworu thought. 'The one who's got those pesky human emotions to contend with.' Kaworu frowned. "Is she alright?"

"Well…" Shinji began. "She's ok physically… even though she almost died. But she doesn't remember anything. She doesn't remember me or Mari…"

"Oh… why would she remember Mari?" Kaworu asked.

"Well… just before fighting the Sixteenth Angel." Shinji began.

'Armisael.' Kaworu thought. 'My sister.'

"Rei admitted that she loved Mari, so when Rei ended up in her coma all Mari could think about was getting Rei back so they could be in a relationship." Shinji explained. "So, I guess Mari's just heartbroken because Rei doesn't remember that…"

"So, Mari's… understandably upset." Kaworu said.

"Yeah." Shinji said. "So, she's just really upset about everything."

"But that doesn't sound like the reason you're upset." Kaworu said. "Something else has to be bothering you."

"Well… I do feel sorry for Mari." Shinji said. "I don't like seeing my friends upset."

"Well, Shinji, there must be something else bothering you." Kaworu said. 'I know there's something… I can feel it…' Kaworu thought.

"Uh…" Shinji muttered. "It's about Asuka…"

"What happened with her?" Kaworu asked in quiet excitement.

"She dumped me…" Shinji said quietly. "Which… I…" Shinji stammered as he began to cry. "I just don't understand why she… why she dumped me…"

"I don't know, Shinji–kun." Kaworu said. "You're a wonderful person."

"I was only defending you…" Shinji said. "I don't understand why people don't like you… you're so nice… Asuka sounded like she overreacted to what you said the other day."

'Ah… it worked.' Kaworu thought. 'I really fucked her up good.' Kaworu smiled. "Well… I was only trying to help." Kaworu said. "But I guess that she was just upset about what Dr. Akagi told her. It's quite unfortunate."

"I guess…" Shinji muttered. "I just wish things were different."

"Well, Shinji–kun, no matter what happens, I'll be right here to help when you need it." Kaworu said kindly. "I'm sure she'll come around eventually."

"I hope so." Shinji said sullenly.

"Don't worry about it, Shinji–kun." Kaworu said sweetly. "I don't know why anyone wouldn't want to be around you… you're just so lovable."

Shinji wiped his eyes. "Thanks, Kaworu." Shinji said. "You're a really good friend."

"Well, I've learned it all from you." Kaworu said. "You've shown me so much kindness."

"We haven't known each other that long…" Shinji said.

"Well, since meeting you and witnessing human kindness first hand, it feels like an eternity." Kaworu said. "You've made me very happy by being my friend."

"I… was life that bad before?" Shinji asked.

"It was." Kaworu said. "I was alone and felt isolated. I was different and I was treated differently because of it…"

Shinji remembered something from his past, something Kaworu didn't even know he could trigger, but did…

**_Flashback_ **

**_"I'm still not sure what to do." Shinji said as he looked over at her. "But, thanks Asuka, for being so nice to me." Shinji said shyly, as he blushed. 'She's so nice to me even though my dad's the boss. It's nice to have someone to talk to.' Shinji thought._ **

**_"Shinji why do you keep thanking me for being nice?" Asuka asked._ **

**_"Well, uh, I guess I'm not used to it is all." Shinji said. "Most kids avoid me, or don't really talk to me." Shinji said. "That's why I read, no one can bother me. I'm actually glad my dad took me out of daycare, at least if I'm alone no one can ignore me."_ **

**_"Why would you say that Shinji…" Asuka looked sadly at Shinji. "Do people really treat you like that, Shinji?"_ **

**_"Yeah, but that's how it's always been. I'm used to it." Shinji said sadly._ **

**_"It's not right though!" Asuka protested. "They shouldn't treat you that way just because you're different." Asuka's eyes started to tear up. "It's just not fair!"_ **

**_Shinji had a concerned look on his face. "Asuka, what wrong? Are you ok?"_ **

**_"Wha…?" Asuka said as tears started to stream down her cheeks._ **

**_"Asuka, why are you crying, did I do something wrong?" Shinji said. He looked very worried about her. Was it something I said?_ **

**_"I'm crying because what you said reminded me of home!" Asuka shouted. "Nobody wants to talk to me when I'm home because I'm different."_ **

**_"Is it your hair?" Shinji asked innocently. "I know I've never seen anyone else with hair like that. It's very pretty, are they jealous of it?" He stammered._ **

**_Asuka's crying lessened as Shinji spoke. "That's the only thing you can see that's different?" Asuka asked._ **

**_"Well, yeah, that and you're a girl." Shinji replied matter–of–factly._ **

**_End Flashback_ **

"Kaworu…" Shinji said. "You're not different, you're… just the same as everyone else."

'Oh, Shinji–kun… if you only knew how different I was…' Kaworu thought. "Thank you, Shinji–kun, that makes me feel wonderful." Kaworu paused. "Have you eaten, Shinji?"

"No… I've been too upset to cook." Shinji replied.

"Well, come on." Kaworu said as he gently grabbed Shinji by the arm. "Why don't I buy you dinner as a thank you… and I won't take no for an answer."

–––

Misato and Kaji were lying in bed, trying to ignore the extreme silence in the apartment. Since Asuka had broken things off with Shinji, and Mari found out that Rei had amnesia and couldn't even remember her, things had been too quiet in the apartment. Shinji hadn't cooked or cleaned in days, Asuka refused to leave her room if Shinji was even in the apartment, and all Mari could do was mope around like her soul had been taken from her.

"Hey, Kaji?" Misato asked. "You still awake?"

"Well, I wasn't until you asked." Kaji said. "But I'm guessing something's wrong…"

"Yeah, none of the kids have been acting like themselves since that other kid showed up." Misato said. "I don't trust him…"

"Well, he is a creepy kid." Kaji said. "He acts far too mature for someone his age."

"It's not just that." Misato said. "He looks familiar… like I've seen him before."

"Misato, how could you have seen him before?" Kaji asked.

"Well… he looks like my father." Misato said.

"Wha…?" Kaji asked. "Misato… I don't mean to sound insensitive, but are you high or something?"

"No, I'm not." Misato said as she got out of bed. "Look… here's a picture we took on my eighth birthday… look at his face, Kaji. Does he look familiar?"

Kaji stared at the picture on disbelief. "Wow… that is a pretty uncanny resemblance." Kaji said. "But, Misato, are you sure you're not overacting?"

"No, I don't think I am." Misato said. "He… he's too weird. His birthday was during Second Impact in a city that was destroyed within hours… it just doesn't make sense! And he looks just like my father!"

"Misato, calm down." Kaji said. "I don't trust him either… just relax."

"So, what are you going to do about it?" Misato asked.

"He's under surveillance everywhere he goes." Kaji said. "It's nothing to worry about. If he does anything suspicious, we'll take care of it."

"And what does…" Misato began.

"Don't ask a question you don't want the answer to." Kaji said.

"Oh…" Misato said.

"You don't seem surprised." Kaji said.

"Kaji…" Misato said. "Ryoji… I know you've done a lot of stuff for Commander Ikari, and I always assumed that… but I never knew for sure…"

"Some things are necessities, Misato." Kaji said. "I regret what I've done, but it was all to find out who caused Second Impact… and I told you I'd do that by any means necessary."

"Yeah… but murder?" Misato asked.

"It's no different than what those men did to usher in a new world order." Kaji replied. "Two billion dead Misato… a few more bad people isn't really going to make a difference, is it?"

"I guess not…" Misato said. "But people still died."

"And those same people killed my brother and countless others for trying to survive." Kaji said. "No one that didn't deserve to die was killed."

"What are you talking about?" Misato asked.

"The only people I've ever killed were the soldiers who killed my brother and my friends." Kaji said. "They deserved what they got."

"Kaji…" Misato said.

"I hope you're not disappointed." Kaji said.

"No… just surprised…" Misato mumbled. "Or whatever…"

"Do you still love me?" Kaji asked.

"Yeah…" Misato said. "I understand why you did it. It's just weird to hear you admit it."

"Well, you had to find out eventually." Kaji said. "I feel better that you know… and that you understand."

"Well, we can't all have our relationships crumble around us." Misato said. "But can I ask one question about all that?"

"No… it didn't help me get over it." Kaji said.

"That's what I thought." Misato said as she got back into bed. "At least you can admit it."

"Yeah." Kaji said bluntly. "It's still good to know they can't hurt anyone else ever again. I just wish Taichi was still alive."

"I know, Kaji. I know how much you miss him." Misato said. "But… you didn't tell me why you think this Kaworu is a bad guy."

"Well, he's just got a bad vibe coming from him." Kaji said. "Other than that, I can't explain it."

"I just hope that Kaworu doesn't cause us any trouble." Misato said. "Otherwise things could get ugly."

"I honestly can't see how things could get worse." Kaji replied.

* * *

December 18, 2016 – Tokyo–3, Old Hakone Quarter

Rei had finally been released from the hospital. The bandages she had been wrapped in after coming out of her medically induced coma had been removed, her skin looked normal, but Rei could still feel the phantom pain of her last life's horrific death and the abuse she suffered when she came back. So, Rei was lying on the bed in her apartment, staring at the ceiling, trying to make sense of the past few months.

"Why did everything turn out this way?" Rei asked herself. "Why was I born into this world? I can remember it so clearly, but I do not know why I was created… no one has ever told me."

**_Flashback_ **

**_Gendo walked up to the horizontal cylinder filled with LCL. Inside was a young girl, her eyes were closed and she was covered in a hospital gown. Her hair looked as though it was light blue, and was long. It reached down past her knees and floated all around her in a big mess. But as Gendo looked at her small face, he saw someone else entirely. "Yui…" He whispered._ **

**_"Soul transfer complete." Fuyutsuki said. "All vital signs are normal, brain waves indicating everything is functioning normally."_ **

**_Gendo continued to look in the cylinder at the on girl. "Understood, Fuyutsuki." Gendo said, and as he did the young girl opened her eyes. They were the bright red, and within them, he saw the kindness that Yui had in her eyes. 'Fuyutsuki was right, part of this girl is her.' Gendo thought. 'Although, it must be the LCL that is fooling my eyes, she can't have red eyes and blue hair, that's just not possible.'_ **

**_The girl stirred and mouthed something that Gendo couldn't understand. She then put her small hand on the interior of the cylinder. Gendo placed his hand over hers leaving only the glass of the cylinder between them. "Fuyutsuki, can you drain the cylinder and let this girl out?" Gendo asked._ **

**_"Of course, Ikari, right away." Fuyutsuki replied, as he began the sequence to release the young girl from the cylinder._ **

**_The LCL drained and as it did, Gendo got a better look at the girl. She had extremely pale skin and her hair was in fact a pale blue, and her eyes were a brilliant crimson color. The top of the cylinder popped open as the LCL drained out. As she sat up, and was hit with oxygen for the first time she was sputtering up the LCL that had been in her lungs moments ago, and was struggling to breathe until Gendo patted her gently on the back. "Are you ok?" Gendo asked without realizing she wouldn't know how to respond._ **

**_As soon as her coughing stopped, she looked up at him with her crimson eyes and spoke softly. "I think… I… am… alright." The girl said as if unsure of what the words' meaning were._ **

**_Fuyutsuki's jaw went slack as she spoke, and Gendo was clearly shocked that she could speak, let alone put together a sentence. "You can speak?" Gendo asked in utter disbelief._ **

**_"Yes… I do not know what exactly I am saying… it just feels as though I should say it." The girl replied. "Who are you?" She asked politely._ **

**_"I am Gendo Ikari." Gendo replied._ **

**_"Who is he?" She asked, pointing at Fuyutsuki._ **

**_"He is Kozo Fuyutsuki." Gendo replied._ **

**_"So if you are Ikari… and he is Fuyutsuki… who am I?" The girl asked._ **

**_"Your name is Rei Ayanami." Gendo said kindly._ **

**_"Rei… Ayanami…?" Rei said quietly._ **

**_"Yes, your name is Rei Ayanami." Gendo repeated._ **

**_"My name is… Rei Ayanami." Rei said, gaining confidence in her ability to speak. "I am Rei Ayanami."_ **

**_End Flashback_ **

"Yes… my birth…" Rei muttered. "Things did not go that well after that, did they?"

" _No, they did not._ " A voice in Rei's head said.

"Who… who are you?" Rei asked.

" _I am your inner light._ " The voice said. " _I am Lilith._ "

"Lilith?" Rei asked.

" _Yes…_ " Lilith replied. " _I am what makes you so unique._ "

"What do you mean?" Rei asked.

" _I am a byproduct of your creation, a piece of the Second Angel grafted to our damaged soul._ " Lilith said. " _Haven't you ever wondered why you've felt so at home near this place?_ "

"No, I have not." Rei said. "I grew up here… and I became attached through my memories of this place."

" _Yes, but you also know that my body resides in basement of this place?_ " Lilith asked.

"It's your body in Terminal Dogma?" Rei asked. "Does it matter?"

" _It will in time…_ " Lilith said. " _But not right now…_ "

"So why are you speaking to me?" Rei asked.

" _To help with what you desire._ " Lilith said. " _To help you understand._ "

"Understand what?" Rei asked.

" _Death and rebirth._ " Lilith said. " _A cycle that has been repeated endlessly through time._ "

"What do you mean?" Rei asked.

" _This…_ " Lilith said.

**_Flashback_ **

**_Rei approached Naoko silently, and when Naoko turned around, she jumped. "Rei–chan, you can't sneak up on people like that, is not polite." Naoko said admonishingly._ **

**_"I was looking for you, Doctor." Rei said politely, simply staring at her with a blank look on her face._ **

**_"Why were you looking for me?" Naoko asked. "And how did you get in here?"_ **

**_"I needed to tell you something." Rei replied. "Something important."_ **

**_"Well, tell me whatever it is that is so important." Naoko said._ **

**_"Alright, old hag." Rei replied._ **

**_"What did you just say to me?" Naoko replied._ **

**_"Old hag." Rei replied, still with a blank look on her face._ **

**_"You're mumbling, Rei." Naoko said. "I couldn't hear you very well… say it again."_ **

**_"Old hag." Rei replied once again._ **

**_"How dare you say that to someone!" Naoko shouted. "When I tell the Director of this, I'm sure you'll be in for a well–deserved spanking."_ **

**_"But you are an old hag, aren't you?" Rei replied. "It's what he calls you, after all."_ **

**_"Wha…" Naoko said. 'Why would Gendo call me that? He loves me… doesn't he?' Naoko thought frantically._ **

**_"He always says it when you're not around." Rei said. "That's what he likes to call you. That old hag is no use. That old hag is annoying. That old hag is stubborn… useless… and desperate for affection." Rei looked up at Naoko as Naoko's eyes widened in shock. "It's only fair I tell you what he says about you. I'm telling you because it's sad for you not to know."_ **

**_Naoko's hands lunged at Rei's neck. "You fucking little bitch!" Rei's eyes widened in shock as Naoko's hands wrapped around her neck and she immediately began to gasp for breath._ **

**_"You little bitch, how dare you lie to me! You're just as replaceable as me!" Naoko shrieked. "He's already disposed of one child, he'll find another just like you take home and play house with! Just like he found a replacement for me!"_ **

**_Ritsuko, who saw the scene unfolding in front of her cried out. "MOTHER, STOP!"_ **

**_SNAP_ **

**_End Flashback_ **

"I did not need to relieve that again." Rei said. "I have thought of that moment countless times."

" _Except when you're around your friends._ " Lilith said.

"They simply quell the memories, not suppress them." Rei said.

" _Really?_ " Lilith asked. " _You seem to have forgotten what it was like when Shinji became your friend… right after you saved him the first time._ "

"I simply assisted Shinji with the Fifth Angel giving him time to kill it." Rei said. "I did not save him."

" _Yes you did, and he repaid the favor and saved you from your Entry Plug._ " Lilith said. " _And then you two became friends._ "

**_Flashback_ **

**_The pair exited the Entry Plug without a problem, and Shinji supported Rei as they walked away from the Entry Plug. He walked slowly, as Rei was having trouble moving fast._ **

**_"Ayanami…" Shinji said. "You should stop saying goodbye before a mission starts. It sounds too sad, like you plan on dying."_ **

**_Rei looked over at Shinji with a forlorn look. "But, Ikari, I am…"_ **

**_"Alive." Shinji interrupted. "That's all that matters. We might only have the EVA program right now, but we also have each other, and I'd be happy to be your friend, Ayanami. We can survive this together."_ **

**_Rei smiled again. "I'd… like… to be your friend Ikari." Rei said happily._ **

**_"Good, so would it be inappropriate to call you… Rei?" Shinji asked nervously. "I don't mind calling you Ayanami… it's just…"_ **

**_"You call the Class Representative by her given name, do you not?" Rei asked. "And you two are friends, so logically by that thinking, it would be appropriate if I called you Shinji, and you called me Rei. Seeing as we are now friends."_ **

**_"I'd like that… Rei." Shinji said smiling happily._ **

**_"I fell happy as well… Shinji." Rei replied as the emergency teams lead by Misato found the pair and came to see if they were alright._ **

**_Rei was taken on a stretcher to an awaiting VTOL, which had landed nearby to transport the two of them and Misato back to NERV HQ for medical treatment._ **

**_While they were riding back to base, Shinji held Rei's hand. "Everything will be ok from now on, Rei." Shinji said. "I promise."_ **

**_"I believe you, Shinji." Rei said weakly. "I have faith you'll keep your word."_ **

**_End Flashback_ **

"I know why Shinji is my friend." Rei said.

" _Then why push them all away?_ " Lilith asked. " _Why distance yourself from what makes you happy?_ "

"To protect them from me." Rei said. "I am expendable."

" _No, Rei, you're quite the opposite._ " Lilith said. " _You're so important you're irreplaceable._ "

"Then why am I the third?" Rei asked.

" _Because of many unfortunate circumstances._ " Lilith said. " _And how do you still see yourself as replaceable? You believed Mari when she told you._ "

"No, I did not." Rei replied.

" _Yes you did._ " Lilith said. " _And you admitted that you liked her too._ "

**_Flashback_ **

**_Mari was over at Rei's apartment. Mari had been thinking about Rei said for over a month, and that day at school, Rei had invited the brunette over for a chat. So as Mari followed her home from school, she couldn't help but feel butterflies in her stomach. When they got up to Rei's dingy apartment, Rei put on some of the music Mari had given her and went to make tea. Mari settled herself on Rei's bed and waited patiently for Rei to return._ **

**_Rei walked back over with two teacups in her hands. "Here is your tea, Mari."_ **

**_"Thanks, blueberry…" Mari said._ **

**_Rei sat down next to Mari and looked at her inquiringly. "Mari, are you deep in thought about why I asked you to come over today?"_ **

**_"Yeah… I am…" Mari said as she blushed._ **

**_"I wanted to ask you something." Rei said._ **

**_"What is it?" Mari asked as her heart pounded in her chest._ **

**_"What do you feel for me?" Rei asked._ **

**_"I uh… I like you blueberry…" Mari said. "I like you a… a lot…"_ **

**_"That is good to know." Rei said._ **

**_"That's it?" Mari said tearfully._ **

**_"No… Mari, please do not be upset." Rei said. "I am not very good with emotions, so I am not familiar with how to express of process certain things."_ **

**_"I know that blueberry." Mari said as she wiped the tears out of her eyes._ **

**_"I have many feelings about you…" Rei said. "All the feelings I have for you make me feel very warm inside… I do not know if it is love…"_ **

**_"But you don't want to rush things." Mari said._ **

**_"Yes, I do not want to rush into something I do not know if I am ready for." Rei said. "I do not want to make you feel sad if things do not work out the way you'd like…"_ **

**_"It's not about me, blueberry." Mari said. "I'll do whatever I need to do to make you feel comfortable… I would never want to rush you into something…"_ **

**_"Thank you Mari…" Rei said. "I knew you would understand…"_ **

**_"Yeah…" Mari said._ **

**_"But I would like to know something…" Rei said._ **

**_"Yeah?" Mari asked._ **

**_"What is it like to be kissed?" Rei asked._ **

**_"Huh?" Mari asked._ **

**_"Mari, I am asking you something very simple…" Rei said._ **

**_"Wait… you want me to…" Mari said._ **

**_"You sometimes take a minute to catch on…" Rei said. "I believe you would call something like this… adorable."_ **

**_"Wow, I guess my mannerisms have been rubbing off on you…" Mari said. "Are you sure that a kiss isn't going too far?"_ **

**_"I just want to know how it feels to kiss someone I have feelings for…" Rei said as she blushed brightly. "I believe it is something I would very much enjoy doing."_ **

**_"I think you'll enjoy it too…" Mari said._ **

**_"Well, do not keep me waiting, Mari." Rei said. "I do not want to lose my nerve…"_ **

**_"Well, I wouldn't want that to happen." Mari said as she leaned in and kissed Rei lightly on the lips. Mari's heart skipped several beats when their lips met and she flashed back to when she kissed Yui. 'She kisses just like Yui…' Mari thought. 'But who cares…'_ **

**_When Mari broke the kiss, she saw Rei was blushing and could tell her face was as red as hers was. "So, how was that, blueberry?"_ **

**_"It was… very nice…" Rei said._ **

**_"I'm glad, blueberry." Mari said. "So, what do want to do? Just take things slowly and see where life takes us?"_ **

**_"Yes, I believe that is the best option." Rei said. "I hope you are not disappointed."_ **

**_"No, I said I don't mind waiting." Mari said. "I'd wait an entire lifetime for a chance to be with you, blueberry."_ **

**_"That is the nicest thing anyone has ever said to me." Rei said. "I am glad you feel that way about me… I always thought I was… replaceable."_ **

**_"Blueberry…" Mari said. "You're anything but replaceable…"_ **

**_End Flashback_ **

"Stop making me remember!" Rei shouted at the ceiling.

" _But you need to remember, Rei._ " Lilith said. " _This can't be like before, you have to remember your humanity… you are not a pawn, and you are not replaceable._ "

"Then what am I?!" Rei screamed.

" _You are a girl with a destiny._ " Lilith said. " _But even more than before, you are a girl that wants to protect others._ "

"I only wish to do what I'm told." Rei said.

" _Not since Shinji arrived and opened your eyes to the world._ " Lilith said. " _You can't lie to me, Rei, I'm inside your head. There is no escaping the truth._ "

**_Flashback_ **

**_Unit–00 arrived on the surface after being launched holding the spear. Rei moved the Evangelion into position and held the spear tightly._ **

**_"_ Rei, are you ready? _" Misato asked. "_ We're sending you the tracking data now."**

**_"Do not send me the data." Rei said. "I will do this without assistance."_ **

**_"_ Rei, you can't do that. _" Misato said. "_ You need the data to throw the spear. _"_**

**"I do not." Rei said. "I will do it without assistance."**

**_"_ Rei! _" Misato said. "_ This is an order! _"_**

**"Shinji killed the Fifth Angel without any tracking data, Asuka fired on this Angel and hit the target…" Rei said sternly. "I will do this without assistance."**

**"Damn it, Rei! _" Misato said angrily. "_ What are you trying to prove? _"_**

**"That I am more than capable of killing an Angel on my own." Rei said. "I will do this on my own, please allow me to save my friends on my own."**

**"Fine, Rei, just remember you only have one shot. _" Misato said._**

**"I am aware, Colonel." Rei said. "I will not miss."**

**_Unit–00 prepped itself to throw the spear. It lifted the spear above his head and cocked it back with its right arm. Rei aimed for where the light was coming from. Unit–00 then started to move backwards several hundred yards. The spear, sensing it was about to be thrown twirled its bident form into a twisted shape that matched the rest of it._ **

**_"Take this." Rei said angrily. "And leave my friends alone."_ **

**_With the spear at the ready, Unit–00 moved forward and at the point where Unit–00 had originally taken aim, spun around in a circle three times and as the spear lined up on the third rotation, threw the spear with all the strength Unit–00 and Rei could muster, and spear shot off to the heavens. Right after it was released, it broke the sound barrier. IT shot through the clouds and entered orbit in seconds. It came upon Arael, who deployed her A.T. Field to defend herself, but it didn't matter. The spear untwirled to reveal its bident head, right as it passed through the A.T. Field like it wasn't even there, and ripped through Arael's body, killing the Angel in a single, decisive blow. A cross shaped explosion lit up the night sky as the spear passed through the explosion and collided with the Moon, implanting itself into the ground._ **

**_Rei looked on as the explosion back lit the clouds and the beam that had been trapping Unit–01 and Unit–02 disappeared. Rei smiled slightly and looked over at her friends' Evangelions as they stopped struggling and shut down._ **

**_"Colonel…" Rei said. "Unit–01 and Unit–02 are down. Send rescue teams immediately. They appeared to be in distress until they shut down."_ **

**_"_ We can't Rei. _" Misato said. "_ They may be contaminated. Return to base immediately. _"_**

**_"I will not return to base until they are safely recovered." Rei said. "I will watch over them until they are safe. I owe them that."_ **

**_"_ Rei, you can't stay out there forever. _" Misato said. "_ You aren't needed out there. _"_**

**_"_ Miso, let her stay out there! _" Mari said angrily. "_ They're defenseless otherwise… _"_**

**_"_ Fine… Rei… _" Misato said. "_ Please be careful. _"_**

**_"Thank you, Mari." Rei said._ **

**_End Flashback_ **

"What was that memory supposed to prove?" Rei asked.

" _That you will do whatever it takes to save your friends._ " Lilith said. " _You even told Armisael about why you killed Arael… you were protecting everyone, just like they had protected you._ "

"I told her that because it was the truth." Rei said.

" _Then why push them away by pretending to have amnesia?_ " Lilith asked. " _Your girlfriend, and your brother…_ "

"Shinji…" Rei muttered.

" _Yes, him._ " Lilith said. " _You say the sadness in his eyes as he watched you wreck that poor girl Mari._ "

"It was for… her own good." Rei said.

" _Why?_ " Lilith asked.

"Armisael was right." Rei said. "I am not capable of love."

" _I disagree._ " Lilith said. " _Your actions to kill Armisael are proof enough…_ "

"Do not show me that!" Rei shouted.

" _You have to see it, Rei._ " Lilith said. " _It is the only way you'll understand._ "

**_Flashback_ **

**_Rei was no longer in her mindscape talking to Armisael. She was back in her Entry plug watching helplessly as Unit–01 was assaulted by Armisael and ensnared like just like she was. Rei could also see the smoldering remains of Unit–XP and the damaged and charred hulk of Unit–02._ **

**_"Shinji…" Rei muttered as she cried silently. "Why did you not run? You should have saved them instead…"_ **

" **AAAAHHHHH! _" Shinji screamed._**

 **_"_ ** **Shinji, fight back! _" Misato shouted._**

" **I… I can't! _" Shinji shouted. "_ It hurts too much! I can't move! _"_**

**_"I can feel Shinji's heart…" Rei muttered. "We are connected… brother… onii–chan…" Rei wiped the tears from her eyes. "I know what I must do now… I will do what you did to save us once before…"_ **

**_Rei tapped several buttons on her control yokes and powered up her A.T. Field to maximum, and then she inverted it. Armisael was pulled into Unit–00, and out of Unit–01, freeing Shinji from what was coming. Armisael was pulled into Unit–00's gut and struggled against the A.T. Field to escape._ **

**_"_ ** **Rei's Field has inverted! _" Maya shouted. "_ She's absorbed the Angel! _"_**

 **_"_ ** **Rei, what the hell are you doing!?" _Misato shouted. "_ Eject, now! _"_**

**_"If I do that… the A.T. Field will collapse and Armisael will kill Shinji…" Rei said. "I will not let that happen…" Rei painfully turned around in her seat and fumbled around, pulling an access panel off that revealed a green ball. "Some things cannot be avoided."_ **

**_"_ ** **Rei, what are you talking about?! _" Shinji said. "_ Rei?! _"_**

 **_"_ ** **Rei, don't do it! _" Misato shouted. "_ Please, eject! _"_**

**_"Shinji… please look after Mari for me… tell her I love her." Rei said as she spun the green ball downward and revealed a red handle._ **

**_"_ ** **Tell her yourself! _" Shinji cried out. "_ Rei! _"_**

 **_"_ ** **Rei, get out of there! _" Gendo cried out._**

 **_"_ ** **Her A.T. Field is at its limit, the Angel is fighting, breach is imminent! _" Maya shouted._**

 **_"_ ** **Rei, this an order! _" Misato shouted. "_ Eject… NOW! _"_**

**_Rei wiped her eyes as the tendrils throbbed inside her body. "Shinji, I know you told me to never say this again but I must…" Rei said as she cried silently. "If I do not, I will severely regret it…"_ **

**_"_ ** **Rei, just tell me after we kill this Angel! _" Shinji shouted._**

**_"No… I must tell you Shinji…" Rei said woefully as she gripped the handle. "Goodbye… onii–chan…"_ **

**_Rei pulled the handle and felt Unit–00 shutter as she activated Mode–D, self–destruct. The struggling Armisael was pulled into Unit–00 as the sequence activated. Unit–00 was lifted off the ground by some outside force, and Unit–01 ran towards Unit–00 as the sequence counted down. Its A.T. Field extended around Unit–00 as it got close. Just for the instant before the explosion Unit–00 looked like a nude, Evangelion sized, white glowing Rei. A massive halo collapsed above her head, and then a massive explosion emanated from the spot, bouncing off of Unit–01's A.T. Field and shooting upwards several kilometers into the sky like a mushroom cloud and leaving a shallow crater into the ground. The city was spared from any damage, but Unit–00 had disappeared._ **

**_End Flashback_ **

"NOOOOOOOO!" Rei screamed. "It burns! EVERYTHING BURNS!"

" _Rei, it is only a memory._ " Lilith said. " _If you let phantom pain dictate how you live your life, you won't have a life worth living._ "

"I can feel it every time I remember!" Rei shouted.

" _Because you are letting the memory control you!_ " Lilith said. " _You must control the memory, Rei. Otherwise you never be able to be near your friends again!_ "

"I don't want to be near them!" Rei shouted.

" _That's a lie, Rei!_ " Lilith shouted. " _And I'll show you why!_ "

**_Flashback_ **

**_The machine in front of Ritsuko brought her out of her rage. It beeped several times, indicated Rei's soul had been fully transferred into her new body. Rei's eyes slowly opened, and she stared blankly at Ritsuko from the cylinder._ **

**_"Well… the abomination is ready for her third life…" Ritsuko muttered. "Fine…" Ritsuko tapped several buttons on the control console and emptied the cylinder of the LCL suddenly, causing Rei to fall and crumple to the bottom of it, and lay there._ **

**"What, can't you get up?" Ritsuko shouted as the cylinder opened.**

**Rei got to her feet unsteadily. Even though she had memories of standing and walking before, this was her first time experiencing it. When she was mostly steady on her feet, she turned slowly to the opening and faced Ritsuko. "Who are you?"**

**"What, you don't remember me?" Ritsuko asked. "Do you remember your name?"**

**_"I am… Rei Ayanami." Rei replied. "I remember… other things… but it is all… jumbled. I cannot piece my memories together. I am… confused."_ **

**"Well, at least you're not that stupid." Ritsuko said absentmindedly.**

**"I am not stupid." Rei replied. "I know I am the third."**

**"Excuse me?" Ritsuko asked. "Are you contradicting me?"**

**"I am defending my self–worth from your baseless accusations." Rei said. "I know I am not stupid… am I not supposed to correct others when they are wrong?"**

**"No… you're supposed to be obedient to your elders." Ritsuko said.**

**"I do not have any elders." Rei said. "I was created… not born… I do not have parents…"**

**_"Good, so you know that you're an abomination." Ritsuko said coldly._ **

**_"I am not an abomination." Rei replied. "I did not wish to be created… I do not even remember who you are… yet you hate me. Why do you hate me? What did I do to hurt your feelings?"_ **

**_"Your attitude and lack of respect annoys me." Ritsuko said. "Now, lay down on the table."_ **

**"Why?" Rei asked.**

**"I need to make sure you're healthy." Ritsuko said.**

**_Rei gave her a puzzled look and went over to the table on the side of the room. Rei laid down and was then surprised when she was forcibly restrained to the table by Ritsuko._ **

**_"Why have you restrained me?" Rei asked._ **

**"Well, it's quite simple really…" Ritsuko said as she grabbed a heavy bag full of tools. "No one else knows what you are… and they are to assume that you have survived, you have to be injured, don't you?"**

**Rei got a worried look in her eye. "What do you mean?"**

**"I mean I am going to break your bones and cause you many different injuries to make it look as though you barely lived through that stupid stunt of yours." Ritsuko said coldly.**

**"What did I do?" Rei asked. "I do not remember any of this."**

**"You will… in time…" Ritsuko said angrily.**

**"Why are you doing this to me?" Rei asked.**

**"I don't like you." Ritsuko said. "Do I need more of a reason?"**

**"I do not know." Rei said nervously.**

**"Seeing as you don't know, we should begin." Ritsuko said as she grabbed a tool from the bag. "This will hurt you far more than it will hurt me."**

**_"AAAAHHHHH!" Rei screamed as Ritsuko began._ **

**_End Flashback_ **

"STOP IT!" Rei screamed.

" _You need to remember that pain, Rei._ " Lilith said. " _Why are you keeping your friends away?!_ "

"To keep the, safe!" Rei shouted.

" _That's still not the whole truth, Rei!_ " Lilith shouted. " _What else?! What else can't you admit?!_ "

"What if I die again?!" Rei screamed. "I can't put hose I love through that again! I refuse to let my death cause them any more anguish than they already have. If we are no longer friends, my death will not hurt them ever again!"

" _There it is…_ " Lilith said. " _You're trying to keep them from getting hurt… because you can't stand to see them upset… how noble._ "

"I'm not the one they remember…" Rei said. "I'm a different person than before, I just don't want them to go through all that."

" _You are Rei Ayanami._ " Lilith said. " _You are the one they remember, they know no different._ "

"But I do." Rei said.

" _Yes, but to them, what they see is their truth._ " Lilith said. " _Unless they know about the circumstances of your birth, you're still the same Rei you were two months ago when you saved them all._ "

"I… I am?" Rei asked.

" _Rei, do you honestly believe you've a different person?_ " Lilith asked. " _Growing as a person isn't your identity… it only changes how you act in certain situations._ "

"I believe I was Rei the third." Rei said.

" _No, Rei… you are simply Rei Ayanami._ " Lilith said reassuringly. " _No amount of death and rebirth can ever change that._ "

"I am Rei Ayanami… and I always have been…" Rei repeated as she finally began to relax. "Thank you… Lilith…" Rei sighed. "But I have to distance myself from them… I don't want them to mourn my death again… I just want them to go on without me."

" _Rei… I do not understand._ " Lilith said.

"You said there is something else I must still do." Rei said. "It will invariably result in my death… if I distance myself from them, no one else will ever get hurt again."

* * *

December 20, 2016 – NERV HQ

Everyone was in their Test Plugs. Ritsuko thought with Rei out of the hospital, it was time for to put the kids through the ringer once again. Misato was glaring at Ritsuko from her usual chair next to Maya, while Ritsuko avoided her glare, Maya was focused on making sure the tests were over as quickly as possible before Ritsuko could do anything to upset anyone.

"How's everyone doing?" Misato asked quietly.

"Everyone but Kaworu and Toji have declined." Maya replied quietly.

"Great…" Misato muttered. "End the test, just tell them they did fine, ok?"

"I can handle that, ma'am." Maya said.

"Thanks, Maya." Misato said. "I don't think they can handle more bad news…"

"So is everything as bad as rumor says it is?" Maya asked.

"Yep, Asuka refuses to be near Shinji, if you look at Mari, she cries, and Shinji is just hanging out with that Kaworu kid and moping around when he's home… it's… it's pretty fucking horrible." Misato explained. "But enough about me… how are you and Kotomi doing? You're still together, right?"

"Yeah, we're still together… and we're doing alright." Maya said shyly. "She's really great, Misato. She makes me feel loved every time I see her."

"Did you two move in together yet?" Misato asked.

"Not yet, but we're looking for a place." Maya said.

"Anywhere in mind?" Misato asked.

"No… not yet." Maya said.

"Well, if you need somewhere with discounted rent… I may have a place in mind." Misato hinted.

"Your apartment building?" Maya asked. "You'd rent to us?"

"I don't see why not." Ritsuko said. "Kaji keeps telling me I need to rent the place out cause it's just sitting there with five people sharing one apartment."

"You'd really do that?" Maya asked.

"Yeah, it's the least I can do for a friend." Misato said as she smiled. "Besides, I may as well have neighbors I like."

–––

Mari was depressed as she left her Test Plug. When she exited hers, Rei had been standing getting out of hers, and Mari, who had not yet gotten her confidence back to talk to Rei again, decided to run off rather than try and deal with the elephant in the room.

As Mari got to one of the unused breakrooms, she sat at one of the dusty tables and laid her head on her arms. She heard someone come in behind her and gently close the door. Then she heard the click of the lock and looked up to see Kaworu glaring at her.

"What do you want, freak?" Mari asked.

"Oh, just to talk." Kaworu said.

"Just leave me alone, freak." Mari said. "I don't want to talk to some two bit piece of shit like you."

"Strong words for someone who has not really talked to me." Kaworu replied.

"Why would I talk to someone who harasses people?" Mari asked.

"And why would you think someone could love you?" Kaworu asked.

"Wh… what did you say…?" Mari asked slowly.

"How could think anyone could love you, Mari Makinami?" Kaworu asked. "Did you really think Rei cold love you?"

"How is this any of your business?" Mari asked.

"Oh, you have no idea what's my business or not." Kaworu said venomously. "You must have known a broken girl like Rei could never love a completely fucked up and useless person like yourself."

"I suggest you leave…" Mari said through gritted teeth. "Otherwise, you'll regret it."

"I doubt it." Kaworu said. "I'm not scared of a fool like you, Mari. You can't even look at the little emotionless demon that broke your heart…"

SLAP

Mari tackled Kaworu to the ground and pinned him while she put her face inches away from his. "Don't you EVER talk about Rei that way again, you LITTLE SHIT!" Mari spat. "Do you understand me?!"

"I like that reaction, Mari…" Kaworu said. "I believe I found your trigger… Rei isn't capable of love, have you seen her? She's just a doll…"

Mari head butted Kaworu, slamming the back of his head into the tile floor. "SAY SOMETHING ABOUT REI AGAIN, I DARE YOU… I DOUBLE DARE YOU MOTHERFUCKER, SAY SOMETHING ABOUT REI ONE MORE TIME!" Mari roared.

"What shouldn't I say?" Kaworu asked. "That she can't love… or that she lied to you because she couldn't understand that it would crush your fragile, lonely, little heart…"

Mari started punching Kaworu in the face repeatedly, alternating between her left and right fists, and gave Kaworu a bloody nose. "I told you to shut the fuck up!" Mari shouted. "Rei has amnesia! I know she loves me!"

Kaworu kneed Mari in the gut when she let her guard down and threw her against the wall and crouched down in front of her. "It's nice you think that… but Rei has no feelings… she pretends because she tries to fit in with you Lilin… all to wear the mask of sanity when in reality she is no more capable of love than the plugsuit you're wearing."

"How do you even know what Rei thinks?" Mari asked. "As far as I know, you've never talked to her… you're just a lying little fuck, aren't you?"

"Oh, no…" Kaworu said as he stood up, turned around, and shook his head. "I have my sources, Mari…"

"Who told you all this?!" Mari shouted as she got back up.

"Mari… you're not the one…" Kaworu began.

Mari tackled him to the ground once again, with a look of pure rage on her face, she shifted all her weight to her arms and rested them on Kaworu's throat.

"TELL ME WHO TOLD YOU ALL THAT!" Mari shouted.

"Who… who else…" Kaworu gasped. "S… Shinji…"

"W… wh… what?" Mari stammered as her choke hold on Kaworu slackened.

"What are you, deaf  _and_  useless?" Kaworu asked. "Shinji told me all about it. Are you surprised or something?"

"I…" Mari stammered. "You…"

"Shinji will tell me anything he knows." Kaworu said. "He's wrapped around my little finger… and there's nothing you can do about it."

Mari stood up and let Kaworu go. "We'll see about that." Mari said furiously as she stormed out of the room.

"Good…" Kaworu said as he smirked. "Two down… one to go…"

–––

Rei was walking down the hallway towards the elevators. She saw Mari running into an elevator, a look of fury on her face. Rei was confused, as she'd never seen Mari like that before. Rei backed away and let Mari get into the elevator and head towards the surface. A few minutes later, she saw Kaworu smirking as he walked down the hall. As Rei turned to leave, Kaworu noticed her and called out to her.

"Rei." Kaworu called loudly. "I've been hoping we'd meet."

"What purpose would that serve?" Rei asked. "I do not wish to meet you."

"Why not, Rei?" Kaworu asked. "Aren't you curious about how alike we are?"

"We are not alike." Rei replied.

"Really…" Kaworu said. "I'm sure you must know you have a piece of Lilith inside you… you can't be that stupid."

"What may or may not be a part of be is none of your business." Rei said. "Now, move."

"No." Kaworu said. "I've really wanted to talk to you."

"Why?" Rei asked. "So you can do to me what you've done to Asuka and Mari?"

"Ah… not so stupid after all." Kaworu said. "Not like some of your predecessors."

"I have never met you before." Rei said. "And neither have my predecessors."

"Oh… not those predecessors." Kaworu said. "It's something your tiny mind couldn't possibly understand."

"Why don't you let me decide that?" Rei said.

"No, I'd rather not waste my breath. You've been among the Lilin far too long to understand our greater purpose." Kaworu said. "But no matter how much you'd like to think we're not alike, we are. We're both from the same matter, both have stolen the visage of someone else to hide amongst the Lilin. So, no matter how different our lives have been to this point, we are the same."

"I am nothing like you." Rei said. "I can actually feel emotions and understand what others are feeling. I do not use people as pawns for some sick thrill… so I suggest you get out of my way before I force you out of my way…"

"I'll leave, Rei." Kaworu said as he walked away. "But think on this… have you ever tried to manipulate you're A.T. Field? It's not that hard… even you could probably do it."

Rei glared at him as he walked away. "I do not know what to make of that odd boy." Rei muttered. "But whatever it is, we are all in danger…"

–––

Mari had tried to find Shinji at NERV, but by the time she got to the men's locker room, Shinji was gone. By the time Mari got home, she was fuming. She stormed into the apartment, looking around for any sign of Shinji, and then she saw him, coming out of the bathroom and she charged at him.

"Shinji!" Mari shouted as she slammed into him. "What the fuck is your problem?! What did you do!? Why did you do that?!"

"M… Mari… what are you… what are you talking about?!" Shinji asked fearfully. "Why are you yelling at me?"

"Why did you tell that bastard Kaworu about my business?!" Mari spat at him. "What the fuck is your fucking problem?!"

"What are you talking about?!" Shinji shouted back. "All I did was talk to Kaworu about what was going on… I didn't tell him anything private."

"Bullshit!" Mari shouted. "You told him everything!"

"All I told him is that Rei had amnesia!" Shinji said defensively. "I didn't tell him anything personal!"

"Then why did he tell me Rei doesn't love me?!" Mari shouted as she slammed Shinji into the wall. "Why did he come after me like he came after Asuka?!"

"Mari, you're not making any sense!" Shinji shouted. "Kaworu wouldn't do that! You're being just like Asuka, you're blowing everything out of proportion!"

"No I'm not!" Mari screamed. "He said awful things to me and you won't even try to understand! WHAT THE FUCK KIND OF FRIEND ARE YOU?!"

"The kind of friend that thinks you're taking Rei's amnesia a little hard!" Shinji shouted back. "Why is everyone attacking Kaworu?! What did he do to deserve all this shit?!"

"Because he's not a nice guy, Shinji!" Mari shouted. "He's playing you like a cheap fiddle and you look like a complete asshole!"

"He is not like that!" Shinji shouted. "He's nice to be around, unlike my s called friends who just keep yelling at me about him!"

"Because you won't listen to reason!" Mari shouted. "He's clouding your judgment, Shinji, think about it! He only does this shit when we're alone with him, but always acts all nice and friendly when we're around you!"

"I can't believe I'm hearing this!" Shinji shouted. "You've got me against a wall and you're spewing the same lies about Kaworu that Asuka was! You're both lying!"

"We're not lying!" Mari screamed. "You're being an idiot! Shinji, why wont you believe me?! What do I have to do to show you he's a bad guy!"

"You don't have to do anything!" Shinji shouted as she shoved Mari away from him, making her land hard on the floor. "I don't have to stay here and listen to your lies!"

"Shinji, wait!" Mari shouted.

"Stay away from me!" Shinji shouted. "You're just like Asuka… you're jealous I have someone else to talk to now besides you!"

"Shinji… that's not…" Mari said.

"I said… SHUT UP!" Shinji roared as he stormed out of the house.

"Fucking idiot…" Asuka said from behind Mari.

"So, you heard that, then?" Mari asked.

"Yep…" Asuka said. "He's being real dumb…"

Mari turned around to look at Asuka and saw she was wearing one of Shinji's t–shirts, and the same necklace he gave her for her birthday. "Asuka… "

"What?" Asuka asked. "Why aren't you calling me princess?"

"I'm not in the mood." Mari said. "But why are you…?"

"What, wearing his stuff?" Asuka asked. "I might hate his stupid face and his stupid guts… but I can't stop loving him…" Asuka said as a tear rolled down her face. "That's not my baka… something's… changed him…"

"Or someone…" Mari muttered. "Cause he just won't listen… he's never  _this_  stubborn."

"I know that… but I still don't want to see him… otherwise…" Asuka muttered.

"You may want to do what I just did?" Mari asked.

"Something like that…" Asuka said. "Although, throwing him against the wall didn't make you look sane. It sort of proved his point."

"I was pissed." Mari said. "I wanted to kill him…"

"Something tells me this Kaworu asshole was sent to tear us all apart or something. Nothing else makes any sense…" Asuka said. "He's just so…"

"Evil." Mari finished.

"Yeah, but its more than that." Asuka said. "It's like he knows us… and he hates us."

"But why?" Mari asked. "We've never even met this asshole before."

"Who knows why crazy people do crazy shit." Asuka said. "But maybe we should let everyone else know about why Kaworu's bad news…"

"But do we tell them what he said to us?" Mari asked. "I really don't want to repeat it."

"I told you what he said to me… and that still makes me cry at night…" Asuka said. "You only have to tell me, I won't… I won't repeat it…"

"I guess…" Mari muttered.

"I promise, Mari." Asuka said.

"I believe you…" Mari said. "So, I saw Rei after the sync test…" Mari began.

–––

Kaworu was relaxing, listening to  _Die Walküre_  as loudly as he could. He kept wondering if the seed he planted in Mari's mind had festered enough to cause her to snap. Asuka was an easy target for him, he'd dealt with her before, but Mari was a new obstacle, she'd rarely been in the middle of things, always on the peripheral, but she was always contained, which worried Kaworu deeply.

"Why are things so similar here… yet so different?" Kaworu mumbled. "What happened this time around to make things turn out like this? What has changed this time… Shinji should not have been this happy… he should have been untouched… he should have been mine from the start!"

**_♪DING DONG♪_ **

"Who could that be?" Kaworu wondered aloud as he went to the door. Kaworu opened it to the shock this lifetime. "S… Shinji–kun?" Kaworu asked. "What an unexpected surprise…"

"Can I come in?" Shinji said shakily.

"What's the matter?" Kaworu asked as he led Shinji inside. "What happened."

"Can I stay here the night?" Shinji asked.

"Of course." Kaworu said. "Is there anything you want to talk about?"

"Not… not right now." Shinji mumbled. "I… just want to go to sleep…"

"Shinji, were you crying?" Kaworu asked and Shinji nodded. "Shinji, if you need to cry some more, I'm here for you."

Shinji nodded and collapsed into Kaworu's arms and began crying. 'Finally… all to myself…' Kaworu thought as Shinji cried into his shoulder.

To Be Continued

* * *

A/N: I do not own Evangelion or any of the characters, GAINAX and the other distributors of NGE related material do. I am simply using them as a backdrop for my fanfic.

Sync Score Rankings!  
Shinji – 67.6 (-19.6%)  
Kaworu – 60.0% (+20.0%)  
Mari – 25.0% (-9.3%)  
Rei – 21.3% (-53.7%)  
Asuka – 19.3% (-17.8%)  
Toji – 8.1% (+3.7%)

This chapter delves more into Kaworu's twisted relationship with Shinji, or at least what he views as his relationship with Shinji in head. Kaworu sees Shinji as tainted by his relationship with Asuka. He wants Shinji to have not loved anyone else, and only love Kaworu and Kaworu alone. All his past experiences have kept him at arm's length from Shinji, he's always loved someone else first, and Kaworu, naïvely thought this time would be his chance. But now, after as many cycles as he's been through, he's had enough and he's taking the most direct approach to rid his competition – direct physiological manipulation on Asuka, Mari, and Rei.

Now, as to Rei's conversation with herself, after being exposed to Armisael, some of Rei's latent abilities have come to light, such as her ability to communicate with the fragment (yes, just a fragment) of Lilith's soul. Now, poor Lilith, her soul is currently split between four places, her own body in Central Dogma, Unit–XP's Core, Unit–00's Core, and Rei herself. Rei happens to have a caring and compassionate piece of Lilith within her who is trying to help her understand her feelings by forcing her to remember why she is the way she is. Through this forced intervention(in a vein less malicious than Mari's 17 year torture), Lilith makes Rei realize what she's actually doing (trying to protect her friends from her next death) while making it seem like she never loved them at all, which is something Armisael kept telling Rei she was doing. Yes, there were a lot of flashbacks, but it was necessary, as somethings can't be condensed down to be easily rehashed. Sometimes it takes a little more effort.

The next chapter may be Kaworu's last, but what he's done will ripple through the rest of this Episode until things may or may not be put right by the time December 31, 2016 comes around. I hope you've all enjoyed his new characterization thus far, which was inspired mainly by Anthony Hopkin's portrayal of Hannibal Lecter.

As I said before, and will always say at the end of chapter, please leave comments, as I would like to try to improve the story going forward any way I can. And, hell, constructive criticism is a good thing.

* * *

つづく


	3. Betrayal; Tabris Deceives

Neon Genesis Evangelion: Legacy  
Episode VI: Return of Reality

* * *

Chapter 3 – Betrayal; Tabris Deceives  
December 21, 2016 – Tokyo–3 Junior High School, Class 2–A

It had been a long few weeks. Asuka and Mari were depressed as Kaworu had taken Shinji from them. Since Mari had slammed Shinji around the apartment, Shinji had not come, at least to their knowledge. They assumed Shinji was staying with Kaworu, but Misato hadn't told them whether or not that was the case.

So, their friends had noticed the change, and that Shinji wasn't hanging around them as much. Asuka always avoided Shinji's gaze and Mari constantly glared at him. Rei had also changed and kept to herself like the old days, not talking to anyone almost like she was a different person. So, after a week of avowing the subject, Hikari broached the subject that morning and they got the full story from the two girls.

"This is so fucked up." Toji muttered as he stared out the window looking for Shinji. It was a dreary day out. The clouds were thick and gray, but there was no rain, just the thick humidity to breathe in. Toji was glancing around and finally saw him. Shinji was walking into school with Kaworu. He looked a bit depressed, but if what Asuka and Mari had been saying were true, then Shinji had really fucked up in Toji's opinion. He didn't trust Kaworu to begin with because he was so off putting to others, or rather, everyone  _but_  Shinji.

"They're here." Toji muttered. "All fucking buddy buddy and shit…"

"Great…" Mari said. "I was hoping he'd skip again."

"Well, that would make things easier, wouldn't it?" Kensuke mused.

"Yeah… it would." Asuka said. "Not that it means much if he's here…"

"Yeah… but…" Hikari muttered. "You must be leaving something out! I can't believe that Shinji…"

"Believe it, freckles." Mari said. "Shinji's gone nuts and trusts that skinny freak more than his actual friends."

"Yeah… we covered everything though." Asuka muttered.

"I can't believe what you guys are saying…" Hikari mumbled. "Why wouldn't Shinji believe you over him? You're his friends… I mean Asuka, you were…"

"I know, Hikari." Asuka said. "Please don't remind me."

"Sorry, I'm just so mad!" Hikari said. "Shinji isn't like this! He's a nice person! That kid is doing something to him, and I want to know what it is!"

"Don't confront him here." Asuka said. "I don't want people knowing my business."

"I have to, Asuka." Hikari said. "He doesn't even live with you guys anymore! He avoids everyone, someone needs to talk to him!"

"Hikari…" Asuka muttered.

"Let her do it, princess." Mari said. "She's got one hell of a determined look in her eye. Go for it freckles, just don't try and kill him… I tried that and it didn't work."

"Wait, I thought you were kidding?" Kensuke asked.

"Nope, I tried to choke him to death." Mari said. "Not my finest moment to tell you the truth."

"Well, I kinda want to strangle him right now." Toji said. "He needs to be brought back from his little crazy bubble of bullshit."

"Speaking of…" Kensuke said as Shinji and Kaworu walked in.

"Hikari, wait…" Asuka said as Hikari stormed over to him.

"Shinji!" Hikari said. "Can I talk to you for a minute?"

"Sure…" Shinji said.

"Alone." Hikari said.

"No, anything you have to say, Kaworu can hear." Shinji replied.

"Thank you, Shinji–kun." Kaworu said which made a shiver go down Hikari's spine.

"Why aren't you going home, Shinji?" Hikari asked. "We're worried about you."

"I'm not wanted there." Shinji said. "I don't like going where I'm not wanted…"

"Did you ever think that they miss you?" Hikari asked.

"Why? Asuka dumped me and Mari tried to kill me, why would I talk to them?" Shinji asked.

"Because they care!" Hikari said.

"No they don't!" Shinji said angrily. "They hate me!"

"Shinji, they don't hate you! They came to you to tell you something and you ignored them! Why did you ignore what they said about him?" Hikari asked bluntly.

"What do you mean?" Shinji asked. "I didn't ignore them!"

"Yes, you did, Shinji! Asuka and Mari came to you to tell you what horrible things your supposed friend said to them, and you didn't believe them. Why would you believe him over your best friend and girlfriend?!"

"I didn't believe him, I just think they were overreacting!" Shinji said angrily.

"I don't like your tone, class rep." Kaworu said venomously. "It seems quite rude, and you're upsetting Shinji–kun."

"I don't give a damn what you think about my tone." Hikari said. "I was talking  _to_  Shinji."

"Don't talk to him like that." Shinji said defensively as he pointed at Asuka and Mari. "You're acting just like them."

"Shinji, can't you see what he's doing?" Hikari asked. "Don't you trust me?"

"Of course I trust you." "But not if you're going to be acting like this!"

"Acting like what?!" Hikari asked.

"Irrational." Shinji replied. "What's so bad about Kaworu?!"

"He's playing you, Shinji!" Hikari said. "What did he tell you about his interactions with Asuka and Mari?! Or did you not bother to ask?!"

"I asked him, he said it was nothing!" Shinji replied loudly.

"And you believed him?!" Hikari replied.

"Why wouldn't I?!" Shinji asked. "I trust him!"

"Over everyone you've known longer than a few weeks?!" Hikari asked loudly. "Over people who trust you with their lives, and who you trust your life with?!"

"Yes!" Shinji shouted.

"Why!?" Hikari asked.

"Because he's just like me!" Shinji shouted. "Friendless and alone, and avoided because people think he's different or doesn't deserve to be liked!"

"Shinji, you have friends!" Hikari said. "And you're not alone!"

"But he is!" Shinji shouted. "He's just like me!"

"Will you stop upsetting, Shinji–kun?" Kaworu said in deep tone. "I won't ask again."

"I'm not upsetting him!" Hikari said angrily as Toji stormed over. "I'm just pointing out that you're a jerk!" Hikari turned to Shinji and pleaded with him. "Can't you see he's playing you?!" Hikari asked. "He's nothing like you!"

"He is like me!" Shinji shouted. "Why can't anyone see that?!"

"Because we're not blind to it like you are!" Hikari shouted.

"No, you just can't accept it for some reason!" Shinji shouted. "Why is everyone so afraid of him?!"

"Shinji, stop yelling at Hikari." Toji said sternly. "What the fuck is up with you lately? Y You're not acting like yourself…"

'Damn these fools…' Kaworu thought. 'I've never had to deal with so many… the jock is usually too banged up to make a difference, and the other two hate him because he got hurt… this has to be handled carefully…' Kaworu looked Toji over and sized him up. 'I just need to provoke him somehow…' Kaworu smiled. "I don't understand what all the fuss is about, Shinji–kun and I are just friends. I don't see how his staying with me is an issue that concerns you though. He's smart enough to make his own decisions, isn't he?"

"Not when those decisions involve a snake like you." Toji said.

"Toji, don't." Hikari said.

"That's just unnecessarily rude." Kaworu said.

"Toji, stop it." Shinji said angrily.

"Shinji, he's a bad guy!" Toji said. "I told you this when Asuka came crying to you… the girl don't cry, and she was balling her eyes out, and you thought she was overreacting? Are you fucking stupid or something?!"

Kaworu made his move and stepped between Shinji and Toji. "I think that's enough from you, Suzuhara. You're being very rude to Shinji–kun."

"Hey, asshole, get out of my way." Toji said as he shoved Kaworu out of his face, knocking him to the ground.

"Toji!" Hikari shouted.

"Toji, why did you do that?!" Shinji shouted as he shoved Toji backwards, catching him off guard and kicking him to the floor as well. "Why did you have to hurt Kaworu, WHAT DID HE DO TO YOU?!"

"He got in my face." Toji said as Hikari helped him up. "And I didn't push him hard enough to knock him over, either. He's faking it!"

"No, he's not!" Shinji shouted.

"Shinji–kun, can we please go." Kaworu said. "I'd much rather not be here if this is how school will be for us from now on…"

"Sure, Kaworu." Shinji said sympathetically. "I don't like being somewhere I'm not wanted."

"Shinji, wait…" Toji said as he grabbed Shinji's left arm.

"Get off ME!" Shinji shouted as he decked Toji with right hook. "DON'T TOUCH ME!" Shinji wrenched his arm from Toji's slackened grip and helped Kaworu up. "I can't believe any of you were ever my friends!" Shinji shouted as he and Kaworu left.

"Toji… are you?" Hikari asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine…" Toji said as he wiped the blood from his mouth. "But I don't like this… Shinji's definitely not himself… and he's too trusting…"

"You know, Kaworu played you." Kensuke said.

"Kensuke…" Toji muttered.

"It's true." Kensuke replied. "He made you look like an ass, and faked falling just to get Shinji's sympathy… it's almost like the honeypot."

"The what?!" Hikari asked.

"Like Kaworu is some sort of spy and he's… well… seducing Shinji." Kensuke replied nervously.

"Dude, you're going way too far off the deep end." Toji said.

"Not really." Kensuke replied. "He's pulling Shinji's emotional heartstrings, and its working pretty well."

"You know, I hate to say it…" Asuka muttered. "But he's got a point. Shinji's just being a total idiot, and he's not thinking with his head… just his heart…" Asuka sighed. 'A heart that used to be mine…' Asuka thought. "Uh… Hikari… if you don't mind, I'm going to, uh, go home. I'm not feeling well…"

"Yeah, sure." Hikari said. "I'll make sure you're covered."

"Thanks…" Asuka said as she left in a rush.

As Asuka left, Rei looked over and caught Mari's eye. They looked at each other for a moment before tears started welling in Mari's eyes.

"Yeah, freckles…" Mari said as she choked back her tears. "I… I can't do this today…"

"Mari, I can't…" Hikari started as Mari grabbed her bag and ran out of the room. "Let you go too…"

"Wat the hell is going on with them?" Toji asked. "It's like their all trying to fuck things up… it's stupid!"

"I miss how things used to be…" Kensuke said sullenly as he and Toji took their seats.

"Shinji… you have no idea what you've done…" Hikari muttered. "You were what held our group of friends together… without you… we're nothing."

* * *

December 23, 2016 – NERV HQ

Kaji and Misato had come in early. Misato had let the kids still at the apartment know about today's sync test, but Kaji and her decided to get in early so they could talk privately in Kaji's bug free office.

"So, what did you want to talk about?" Kaji asked.

"Shinji." Misato replied. "Have you been keeping an eye on him?"

"Well, yeah." Kaji said nonchalantly. "I can't leave Shinji to his own devices. I just don't understand what's going on with him."

"Well, that Kaworu is doing something to him." Misato said. "Drugging him to act stupid."

"Nope, I already tossed the kid's room." Kaji sighed. "No drugs or compounds that can be made into drugs were found. There was plenty of stuff hidden, but nothing serious."

"Like what?" Misato asked.

"Journals written in a language I can't even comprehend." Kaji said. "Like some kind of dead language."

"So, no idea what it said then?" Misato asked.

"Nope, I sent some pictures over for analysis." Kaji said. "Nothing yet. But I think I know how Kaworu's got a hold over him."

"How?" Misato asked. "I mean, drugs or brainwashing…"

"Nope… its way less complicated." Kaji said. "Kaworu's manipulating Shinji's emotions with fake stores that match up to Shinji's childhood."

"How do you know?" Misato asked.

"I bugged the room." Kaji said. "I wasn't leaving anything to chance with this."

"Seriously?" Misato asked.

"Well, it was either that or actively watch them." Kaji said. "I've checked his file, at least what little they gave us about him. He grew up in NERV's care, somewhat like Rei, but more sheltered. Though I can't find any actual references to him in the daily reports."

"What do you mean?" Misato asked.

"You remember working in the U.S. branch, right?" Kaji asked.

"The one at that old tech college?" Misato asked. "Yeah, constant paperwork and red tape."

"And you remember being in charge of Asuka for a time." Kaji said. "Loads of reports on her well–being and everything?"

"Yeah, there was at least a two page long form a day I had to fill out, and that was without sync tests or additional training."

"Kaworu has no paper trail." Kaji said. "There are references to his files on the servers, but no actual paper backup. No sync test results, no psych evaluation, not even a physical or a daily schedule. The kid is a ghost."

"How do you…?" Misato muttered.

"Went to check myself." Kaji said. "There are boxes there, sealed boxes marked classified, loaded with folders… but it's just filled with paper, blank fucking paper."

"So, what?" Misato asked. "Can we pull him from duty for that?"

"No, we can't let them know we know." Kaji said. "We just have to go in there and… well, neutralize him or something."

"When?" Misato asked.

"Christmas morning." Kaji said. "Bastard's ruined the holiday already, so why not just make it official."

"Well, that's fucked up, but whatever." Misato said. "What about Shinji though?"

"When they go in, they'll make sure to keep him safe." Kaji said. "I won't let anything more happen to him. I think he's seen enough shit as it is…"

"Yeah…" Misato muttered. "And Kaji, there was one other thing I wanted to bring up…"

"What is it?" Kaji asked.

"Maya invited us out on a date with her and Kotomi." Misato said. "I told her I'd ask you first before I said anything."

"Why would I say no?" Kaji asked. "I've been dying to meet your ex–girlfriend Kotomi since you told me about her."

"Ok…" Misato mumbled.

"Don't be so worried, Misato." Kaji said. "I promise not to embarrass you by asking which of us is better in bed."

"Kaji, you know the answer to that…" Misato said as she blushed.

"Yeah, guys and girls do things differently, and we're both great." Kaji said. "I remember."

"Fine, just don't be weird and stare at her or anything." Misato said.

"Why would I stare?" Kaji asked. "I'm sure she's just as gorgeous as you are…"

"Shut up, Kaji." Misato said.

"Come on, Misato." Kaji said. "If we can't laugh when shit hits the fan like this, life will be kinda difficult to deal with."

"Why do you have to make jokes though?" Misato asked. "I mean… we're about to kill…"

"No, I'll be killing him." Kaji said. "The Commander is fine with it, so I won't be in any trouble for offing the bastard."

"I know"

"It's how I cope Misato." Kaji replied. "Even though it's for the greater good, and to protect Shinji… it's still a human life being taken."

"But are we entirely sure he's human?" Misato asked.

"No…" Kaji replied. "But it won't matter anymore come Christmas morning…"

–––

Mari was walking around after yet another sync test. Her sync score was down, and she knew why. Between Shinji and Rei, she was thoroughly depressed. And with Asuka's current condition, Mari really had no one to lean on anymore. Shinji had been her rock, whether he knew it or not, and now Mari was utterly alone.

As Mari walked down the hallway, she saw Rei coming from the other direction and froze.

'Shit…' Mari thought. 'I can't deal with this right now…' Mari turned around and ran the other way before she heard a voice call out to her.

"Mari!" Rei said loudly.

Mari froze in place again and slowly turned around. She saw Rei approaching her, a blank stare on her face and no visible body language to explain what was going on.

"I remember you." Rei said.

"You… you do?" Mari asked.

"Yes… I remember everything." Rei said. "But I must tell you something."

Mari's heart sunk at those words. "W… what is it, blu… Rei…"

"I lied." Rei said.

"A… about?" Mari asked.

"Loving you." Rei said. "I lied."

"W… wha… what?" Mari asked as tears started to well up in her eyes.

"After I woke up from my coma I realized that I had been lying about my life." Rei said. "I did not care about those around me, I preferred solitude. I realized that I did not miss having you around me, I was happy being on my own."

"Wha…?" Mari stuttered. "But you said…"

"I lied." Rei replied. "I thought that was what you wanted to hear, so I said what I thought would make you happy. But now I realize that I was mistaken, and your happiness I no concern of mine."

"I…" Mari stammered. "But…"

"I don't know how difficult this will be for you, but it is what it is." Rei replied.

All Mari could do is stare blankly at Rei as tears dripped from her eyes. "Rei… why… why are you doing this?" Mari asked. "I know… I know you weren't lying when you told me. I could… I could feel it."

"Then I guess I am a more convincing liar than I thought." Rei said. "I am incapable of love, I never loved you, and I never will."

Rei looked at Mari as the words hit her. She could see Mari's heart breaking right in front of her. Mari's face fell, her lip quivered, and her body was shaking. Rei walked right past Mari and heard the poor girl run away, bawling her eyes out. "I am sorry, Mari." Rei said quietly. "I may have loved you in a past life, but this is for the best. If I am close to you, I will end up hurting you again. I just wish things could have been different…"

As Mari ran in the opposite direction, she had to stop to catch her breath. 'Was Kaworu right?' Mari thought. 'Was it really all a lie?' Mari shook her head. 'No… I know it wasn't a lie. She loved me… or am I just wrong like the last time… like with Yui…?' And with that, Mari collapsed on the floor, crying, wondering if she'd ever feel love again.

–––

Asuka was lying in bed. She was upset because her sync score kept falling, and now she wasn't even allowed to pilot Unit–02. Asuka needed someone to talk to, but Mari was nowhere to be found, and Hikari was busy with Toji, and Rei… Rei wasn't Rei anymore, so Asuka was all alone.

"Stupid bullshit…" Asuka muttered angrily. "Life sucks… I'm a reserve pilot! And Shinji doesn't love me anymore…"

Asuka anxiously rubbed her eyes. "Why does he think that Kaworu is more trustworthy? I know I'm not the easiest person to deal with… but he said he loved me? Was that a lie? Did he ever love me?"

Asuka played with the necklace she had around her neck. The same one Shinji had given her for her birthday. "I just don't want to believe that Shinji doesn't love me anymore… I don't think I could handle things if… if I didn't have Shinji in my life…"

Tears started pouring down Asuka's face. "This is why I should never have fallen in love with that idiot…" Asuka mumbled as wept. "He couldn't hurt me if I never loved him… but I do love him… and he'll never love me again…"

"Why do bad things always have to happen to me?" Asuka asked herself as she cried herself to sleep. "Why can't I ever be happy?"

* * *

December 24, 2016 – NERV HQ, Living Quarters

Shinji was lying down in Kaworu's room. He had been living there for a few weeks, and Kaworu had been kind enough to get Shinji a mattress to sleep on. Shinji hadn't been sleeping very well the past few days, and had really been thinking about what Hikari had said to him, and it was bothering him that everyone was against his friendship with Kaworu.

'I know that Asuka has a tendency to overreact, and Mari always exaggerates stuff.' Shinji thought. 'But Hikari never overreacts… but if she's been listening to Asuka… maybe she was just mad at me and took it out on Kaworu…' Shinji sighed deeply. 'I miss Asuka though… I wish she wasn't so mad at me… I still love her…' Shinji shook his head. 'Why do things always have to be so complicated…'

Kaworu on the other hand was miffed that Shinji and him weren't sharing a bed, but he was at least happy about Shinji being near him. So, while Kaworu did his usual staring blankly at Shinji, he was thinking about everything he'd accomplished, and just how close to his goal he finally was.

'Well, Shinji's friends won't ever talk to him again, and I doubt he would talk to them after how they treated me.' Kaworu thought. 'They all think he's a jerk, his girlfriend dumped him… she wasn't hard to manipulate, the big breasted buffoon was even easier to push around… and to think Lilith tortured her for so long, must have left her fragile. Rei wasn't even a challenge, she's so broken… not that I haven't died violently countless times since this all began… but… I finally have Shinji–kun all to myself… finally, he's mine for the taking… alone and isolated, I'm the only person he can trust… after all this time, I've finally got my heart's desire.' Kaworu smiled. 'Well, Shinji–kun… my Shinji–kun, come tomorrow, I will give you the world when I merge with Adam and bring about my own instrumentality where we get to live forever without anyone's interference.'

"Hey… Kaworu?" Shinji asked, breaking Kaworu from his dreams of instrumentality.

"Yes, Shinji–kun?" Kaworu asked.

"Can I ask you something?" Shinji asked. "I really need your opinion."

"Sure, Shinji–kun." Kaworu said. "You can ask me anything you'd like."

"Do you think I…" Shinji started. "No, that's not right. Do you think that Asuka will ever forgive me?" Shinji asked innocently. "I… I kinda miss her…"

"What?" Kaworu asked, barely keeping his composure.

"If… if I ask Asuka to talk to me again, do you think she'll forgive me?" Shinji asked.

"Why would you do that?" Kaworu asked, trying not to lose his cool.

"Because I think I still love her." Shinji said.

'WHAT?!' Kaworu thought angrily as he started shaking with anger. "How could you still love her after how she treated me?" Kaworu asked angrily. "Let alone how she calls you stupid all the time? You can do far better than that bitch!"

"Kaworu, that's a little harsh…" Shinji said. "You don't know her that well… she really doesn't mean it…"

"Why are you defending someone that hates you?!" Kaworu shouted.

"Because I love her." Shinji replied. "Kaworu, why are you so mad?"

"Because, you're being foolish Shinji–kun!" Kaworu said. "You love a girl that never loved you enough to treat you with respect!"

"Kaworu, why are you getting so upset?" Shinji asked again. "It hard to explain why I love her so much…"

"Just shut up!" Kaworu said. "You're supposed to be mine, not that stupid girl's." Kaworu pointed to the door. "JUST GET OUT!" Kaworu screamed. "GET THE FUCK AWAY FROM ME!"

"Kaworu…" Shinji muttered.

"JUST GET OUT!" Kaworu shouted as he slammed open his door and shoved Shinji from the room. "DON'T COME BACK HERE EVER AGAIN!"

"Damn it all to hell!" Kaworu shouted. "How could he love her that much?! She hated him, and he wants her back!" Kaworu took a deep breath. "It doesn't matter anymore… come tomorrow, I will have exactly what I want… Asuka wiped from existence and Shinji all to myself with no memory of that stupid fucking bitch."

–––

Shinji watched as Kaworu's door closed and locked right in front of him. All Shinji could do was stare at the door with a look of shock and sadness on his face.

"Wh… what just happened?" Shinji muttered. "Why did he get so mad?" Shinji sighed. "Is it because I mentioned Asuka? I just don't get it."

As Shinji walked away from Kaworu's room, Shinji started muttering himself. "First Asuka, then Rei, and then Mari… then Hikari and everyone else… and now Kaworu… am I so fucked up, I can't even keep my friends around?"

"I hate being like this…" Shinji muttered as he wandered aimlessly around NERV. "All alone… just like before I came to this stupid city. Everything that's happened the past year and a half may as well have never happened at all. Everything always ends up like this… I'm alone and I don't even have my SDAT to listen to…"

Shinji found a nice secluded break room that looked relatively abandoned. "It's amazing how many rooms in this place are empty." Shinji said. "So I guess this is as good a place as any to sleep… it's not like I have a home to go back to anymore…"

* * *

December 25, 2016 – NERV HQ, Terminal Dogma

Lilith was resting quietly, stuck to her cross and bleeding out tons of LCL. She was at rest, with nothing to do but wait. She could feel the pieces of her soul all nearby, and another that was fast approaching… one of Adam's progeny.

'And so it begins again…' Lilith thought. 'We're once again approaching that destined hour… and Tabris will be joining me shortly… how time flies…'

–––

Aoba was sitting in the Command Center patiently waiting for his morning coffee. He was twirling his pen while staring aimlessly at the main display. He looked over at Maya who was half asleep from the night before.

"Long night?" Aoba asked.

"Yeah…" Maya replied. "Had a double date with Kaji and Misato."

"How did that go?" Aoba asked.

"Pretty well." Maya replied. "Kaji and Kotomi are kinda similar… it's really weird."

"Could be worse." Aoba said. "They could have been really shitty with each other."

"I guess, I just wish we hadn't been up so late." Maya said. "I mean, Misato can come in when she wants to, but the rest of us have to be on time."

"Well, what can you do?" Aoba said. "She's the boss."

"You can bring coffee." Hyuga said as he walked in. "It's the only thing that can get us all through the day."

"Yeah, or maybe some excitement." Aoba said.

"Why do we need more excitement?" Hyuga asked. "Don't we have enough to around here?"

"Well, not really." Aoba said. "It's been kinda boring since the Gundams left. It's way less boring around here when there's something to do."

"Seriously, we have massive death robots in the basement and a bunch of angsty teens to pilot them." Maya said. "We may as well be in an anime."

"Well, when you put it that way…" Hyuga said. "Kinda backs up the point I was trying to make. Things can stay like this, it's kinda nice."

"Why did you have to say that?" Maya said. "Every time you say that, something happens."

"What are you on about?" Misato asked when she walked in. "Every time what happens?"

"Every time someone says it's going to be ok, it all goes straight to…" Maya started as an alarm sounded. "Son of a bitch…"

"No… it's been months…" Misato said. "It can't be an Angel…"

"Pattern Blue confirmed… it's an Angel." Hyuga said solemnly. "The Seventeenth Angel has been confirmed."

"Location?" Misato asked.

"It… no… what?" Hyuga muttered. "Target is within NERV itself!"

"What?!" Misato shouted. "How did we not get a warning sooner?!"

"Unknown." Maya said. "But regardless, we have to intercept it."

"Where is it heading?" Misato asked.

"It's leaving the Evangelion Cages." Aoba replied. "It appears to be heading for Terminal Dogma."

"What is it exactly?" Misato asked.

"Unit–02." Maya replied. "It activated a few minutes ago and started moving on its own, no pilot or Entry Plug."

"Is it a rogue EVA?" Misato asked.

"No idea." Maya replied. "Perhaps the Angel is controlling it."

"Regardless of the circumstances, we need to launch Unit–01 to intercept." Gendo said, appearing at his usual post. "Find Shinji."

"Understood, Commander." Misato said. "I just hope we can find him in time."

"Can we do anything to stop it?" Maya asked.

"Other than closing off the bulkheads, absolutely nothing." Misato said.

"It's already too deep to do anything to stop it." Fuyutsuki said. "All we can do now is wait."

"Perhaps our warding on the Doors of Destiny will hold him off…" Gendo muttered quietly to Fuyutsuki.

"I hope so, Ikari." Fuyutsuki replied. "Otherwise, SEELE will have us right where they want us, as their tools to their ultimate goal."

"Instrumentality." Gendo said as he scratched the palm of his left hand. "If we can survive this, perhaps we should move up our own time table."

"The key word being if…" Fuyutsuki muttered solemnly.  
–––

Kaworu was floating down the shaft to Terminal Dogma with Unit–02 acting as his lone guard. As he descended the miles long shaft, he was getting more and more impatient.

"Why must this always take so long?" Kaworu asked aloud. "And then I have to try and get through whatever is blocking me from getting to Adam… or rather, father, considering he made me in his death throes."

As Kaworu continued to descend he spun around to look at Unit–02. "Well, I hope I won't need you. But I would much rather not be interrupted while I work on my plan… so if Shinji–kun comes down here, keep him away." Kaworu laughed. "It's not like you have a choice, you've locked yourself away because you can feel Asuka's pain… so you're my doll now." Kaworu sighed. "I just wish Shinji–kun had never met your daughter… things would have been so much easier for me if he hadn't."

As the pair reached the bottom of the shaft, Kaworu looked around. "Ah… so close, yet so far." Kaworu muttered. "Time to get to work on this warding."

–––

Back in the Command Center, it was a flurry of activity. Everyone was prepping for a battle in the bowels of NERV, one which may not even happen if they couldn't find a pilot for Unit–01.

"Where are the pilots?" Gendo demanded. "They are supposed to be ready when we need them."

"Rei is nowhere to be found." Fuyutsuki said. "Section 2 lost sight of her early this morning."

"Interesting…" Gendo muttered. "And the rest?"

"Asuka and Mari didn't pick up their phones, and they aren't at home." Misato said. "I think they're hiding."

"And Shinji?" Gendo asked.

"We're looking for him." Maya said. "His ID was swiped in yesterday, and there is no record of him leaving. He's got to be somewhere on base."

"What about that Nagisa boy?" Fuyutsuki asked.

"He's missing." Aoba replied. "He disappeared shortly before the Angel alarm went off."

"Interesting." Gendo said.

"We found Shinji." Maya said. "Security found him in a less than used break room. He's being brought to the Cage now."

"Excellent." Gendo said. "Have him launch immediately to Terminal Dogma."

"Understood, Commander." Misato replied.

"Uh, Colonel, there's an issue with Shinji." Maya said. "He's refusing to go to security."

"Why?" Misato asked.

"Something about fighting more not being worth it." Maya replied. "Perhaps you should get down there."

"Colonel Katsuragi, we do not have time to waste on an insolent child." Gendo said. "Lieutenant Ibuki, order security to restrain Shinji and force him into Unit–01, whether he likes it or not, he is the only pilot we have available."

"Sir, if could just talk to him…" Misato began.

"Considering he has not been in your home for some time, I doubt very much that he would listen to you." Gendo said. "Restrain him and get him into Unit–01, and have it ready to deploy by the time he arrives."

"Understood, Commander." Misato replied.  
–––

Shinji was once again inside Unit–01. He was peering over the edge of the shaft to Terminal Dogma, and was very confused by the hurried briefing he'd been given. He was also upset having been dragged kicking and screaming into the Entry Plug after being forced to change into a plugsuit.

"Was all that really necessary?" Shinji asked. "Aren't there other pilots that can do this?"

" _You're the only one we could find._ " Misato replied. " _Everyone else is missing._ "

"Typical… I'm left to do everything myself." Shinji muttered. "Always alone…"

" _Shinji, focus._ " Misato ordered. " _There is an Angel loose in NERV._ "

"Fine." Shinji said gruffly. "So the Angel is at the bottom of this shaft?" Shinji asked again.

" _For the fifth time, yes._ " Misato replied. " _The Pattern Blue is in the restricted section of Terminal Dogma._ "

"And how do I get down the shaft?" Shinji asked. "Just jump?"

" _No, there is a winch…_ " Misato began.

"But there isn't time if there's an actual Angel down there." Shinji replied. "There are retro rockets in the shoulder pylons, right?"

" _Yes, there are._ " Misato said.

" _If he activates them just before impact, he can slow himself down._ " Maya said. " _Just like during the Jet Alone incident._ "

" _Alright, go for it, Shinji._ " Misato said. " _Against my better judgment._ "

"Yeah, sure." Shinji replied. "Here goes nothing."

Unit–01 looked down the shaft and backed up a bit and ran towards the shaft jumping into it. As the Evangelion free fell in the darkness, Shinji had no sense of how deep the shaft was.

"Just how deep is this thing?!" Shinji shouted.

" _Several kilometers._ " Aoba replied. " _It goes way down deep._ "

" _Activate your thrusters for a 20 second burn in one minute._ " Maya added. " _That should slow you down._ "

"Right." Shinji replied. "And where was Unit–02?"

" _Uh…_ " Misato said. " _I forgot to mention the Angel may have taken it over._ "

"You forgot to mention…" Shinji muttered. "That's just great, I'm going to be outnumbered two to one."

" _We're not sure, Shinji._ " Hyuga said. " _It could be using Unit–02 as a conduit, or Unit–02 is the Angel… we just won't know until you make contact._ "

"Great…" Shinji said. "Firing retro rockets now."

The shaft lit up in a blaze of light as the twin retro thrusters fired and slowed Unit–01's decent to a manageable landing speed. However, Unit–01 sill landed hard, and the sound echoed loudly around them. The antechamber itself was dimly lit, and Shinji couldn't see a much of anything.

"Did no one install lights down here?" Shinji asked.

" _It wasn't high on the priority list apparently._ " Misato replied. " _Just activate the low light filters._ "

" _No, I will turn on the lights in the antechamber._ " Gendo said.

As the lights blazed on, the chamber was revealed to be very stark. Shinji turned around and looked for any signs of Unit–02 or an Angel, and found them when Shinji faced what appeared to be a blood red door. In front of that door was Unit–02 and what appeared to be a hovering human. Shinji zoomed in on the figure and was shocked.

"K… Kaworu?!" Shinji shouted.

" _What?!_ " Misato shouted. " _You've got to be kidding?_ "

" _It's confirmed._ " Maya said. " _Facial recognition confirms its Kaworu Nagisa._ "

" _How is that possible?_ " Misato muttered.

" _It does not matter._ " Gendo said. " _Shinji, he is the enemy, you must kill him._ "

"But… he's human!" Shinji shouted.

" _No, Shinji, he's not!_ " Misato shouted. " _He's confirmed as Angel, do what you have to and neutralize the threat. He cannot enter Terminal Dogma._ "

"But, Misato!" Shinji shouted. "I will never kill a human! It's wrong!"

" _It doesn't matter what you think, Shinji._ " Misato said. " _It's either him, or the world, which is more important to you?!_ "

"I won't do it!" Shinji shouted. "There has to be another way!"

Shinji saw Kaworu raise his hand and an orange octagonal field erupted from it, forcing the red doors off and he floated inside. Kaworu turned and paused however, and motioned to Unit–02, bringing it to life and forcing it to charge at Unit–01.

"What about Unit–02?" Shinji asked.

" _Disable it._ " Misato said. " _And then stop him at all costs._ "

"But…" Shinji muttered.

" _Shinji, we're talking about the fate of the world._ " Misato said. " _Kaworu is not the guy you think he is, you have to stop him to protect everyone!_ "

"Fine!" Shinji shouted as Unit–02 got close and Shinji dodged to the left, causing Unit–02 to run straight into a wall and get dazed. It took a moment for the EVA to recover before it charged once again with reckless abandon. "I don't have time to play with you!" Shinji shouted as Unit–01 deployed both its Prog Knives, and countered the charging Unit–02's sloppy attack. "Sorry, Asuka… but you already hate me, so wrecking your EVA isn't going to make much of a difference!" Shinji buried both Prog Knives in Unit–02's chest and lifted the red EVA over Unit–01's head and threw it against the wall, where it landed in an awkward slump.

" _Good work, Shinji._ " Misato said. " _Now go and finish your job._ "

"Misato, I can't." Shinji said. "He's…"

" _He only looks human._ " Misato said. " _You saw him floating there, how do you think he's doing that?!_ "

"But he's human!" Shinji shouted.

" _He was never your friend Shinji, nor was he human._ " Gendo said. " _He was the proverbial wolf in sheep's clothing. He has been confirmed as an Angel, our sworn enemy, you have seen the proof and have no choice but to kill him or watch the human race be extinguished by your own inaction._ " Gendo paused. " _I never expect anything from you, so you not doing anything wouldn't surprise me very much. Go ahead and be a petulant child, Shinji, you're only costing everyone on this planet their life._ "

"Damn you, father!" Shinji shouted as Unit–01 charged into Terminal Dogma, only to fall into the pool of LCL. "What the hell is all this?!" and then Shinji looked up and aw Lilith nailed to the cross. "And what the hell is that?!"

" _Explanations can wait._ " Gendo said. " _Stop the Angel from making contact with it._ "

"Fine." Shinji said. "I want to know from him why this is happening."

" _Whatever it takes for you to get the job done._ " Gendo replied coldly.

–––

Gendo switched off the comms to Shinji and Unit–01. "Prepare the self–destruct." Gendo said. "If Shinji decides to not act, I want a backup plan in place."

"What, Commander?" Misato asked.

"Ikari, is that truly necessary?" Fuyutsuki asked.

"The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few." Gendo replied. "You know that Fuyutsuki. Carry out my orders."

"Commander, give Shinji a chance." Misato said. "He always does the right thing."

"We cannot take that chance." Gendo replied.

"Commander." Kaji said as he came in. "Shinji always needs a bit of prodding, he'll do it, he just needs to come to it in his own time."

"That may be, but we are not taking any chances." Gendo replied. "Set the timer for immediate detonation when activated."

"Understood, Commander." Misato grumbled.

–––

Kaworu floated into Terminal Dogma while Unit–01 and the pilotless Unit–02 fought in the antechamber. Kaworu saw the white mass that was Lilith bolted to the cross.

"Ah, hello father…" Kaworu mumbled as he moved closer.

As Kaworu got to the mask, he felt something was off, that something was missing. He held up his hand and his A.T. Field shot a beam into Lilith. He dropped his hand after the beam made contact, and he floated quickly backwards from Lilith.

"You're not Adam… you're Lilith… why are you even here?" Kaworu said to himself. "I know I sensed Adam here… I can feel his presence, and it masked yours." Kaworu stared at Lilith in disbelief. "You were destroyed years ago, you should be here… unless I've been misled… those old bastards or Ikari… or both. All their little plans, and I've been tricked and used a pawn, just like all my brothers and sisters…"

Kaworu heard a loud crash behind him as he saw the limp body of Unit–02 get thrown through the doors and collide with Lilith's cross. Unit–02 fell to a slump at the bottom of the cross and Unit–01 waded quickly through the water and grabbed Kaworu in its right hand, clutching him tightly.

"Hello Shinji–kun…" Kaworu said as he heard Unit–01 splash through the LCL covering the floor. Kaworu didn't even try and move when Unit–01 grabbed him and gripped him tightly in both hands. "How nice of you to join me…"

–––

Rei appeared at the bottom most level that she could access. She could feel Kaworu's power and was drawn straight to it. She opened a door onto a balcony and saw Unit–01 grab Kaworu tightly within its hands. Kaworu's A.T. Field flashed, and resisted Unit–01's grip the best he could.

"I wonder…" Rei muttered. "He is very powerful… onii–chan will not be able to stop him on his own… perhaps my own power can help…"

Rei extended her hand and her own A.T. Field flared up. "I do not know if I can control this power… but I will try… I cannot let Shinji fight on his own again… he never left my side…"

Rei tried directing her field towards Kaworu, but it faltered. "Why won't it work…" Rei's eyes narrowed. "I cannot give up… I must help, now that Lilith and Kaworu have opened my eyes… I know I can do this." Rei focused one more time and used her own A.T. Field to negate Kaworu's. The lights around her flickered, and "Now perhaps onii–chan has a chance…"

–––

Back in Central Dogma, even more alarms were going off at the detection of yet another A.T. Field, one so strong it was blocking their sensors.

"What the hell is going on now?!" Misato shouted. "Why has everything gone dark?!"

"We're detecting the strongest A.T. Field we've ever seen." Hyuga said. "It's power is unbelievable."

"It's shutting out everything, light, magnetism, sub–atomic particles." Maya added. "Our sensors are completely dark."

"Can we identify what is creating the A.T. Field?" Fuyutsuki asked.

"No pattern identifier detected." Aoba said. "It could be Unit–01 for all we know."

"So how do we know what's happening down there?" Misato asked.

"We just have to trust Shinji is doing what he's supposed to." Kaji said.

–––

Shinji was inside his Entry Plug, and could feel the warmth of Kaworu's body in his hands as Unit–01 griped Kaworu firmly, but Kaworu didn't struggle. His A.T. Field has disappeared suddenly, and Shinji had almost crushed him, but he needed to know some things first.

"Why, Kaworu?!" Shinji screamed. "Why did you do it?! Why did you have to be an Angel?! You lied to me!"

" _My name is not Kaworu Nagisa, Shinji–kun, my name is Tabris, the son of Adam._ " Kaworu smiled. " _And I never lied, you never asked._ "

"I don't care about your name!" Shinji screamed. "You're Kaworu to me! I just want to know why you did all this!"

" _The names are important, Shinji–kun. We all have names, Sachiel, Shamshel, Ramiel, Gaghiel, Israfel, Sandalphon, Matarael, Sahaquiel, Ireul, Leliel, Bardiel, Zeruel, Arael, Armisael, and myself all had the same mission, to reset the Earth after merging with our father, Adam._ " Kaworu explained. " _I did not mean to lie to you, Shinji. I simply had to keep myself hidden until I could accomplish my mission. It was… unavoidable._ "

"How was it unavoidable?!" Shinji shouted. "Why did you do all this?!"

" _To get you to myself._ " Kaworu said. " _And to shape the world the way I want to… it's as simple as that._ "

"I don't care about that!" Shinji shouted. "Why did you break Asuka and me apart?! How did that help you?!"

" _Ahhh… that._ " Kaworu said sullenly. " _Shinji–kun, that was simply to try and get you to help me with my plan, as I found you so fascinating, I always have, and I wanted you to be mine. I've always wanted you to be mine. And she was in my way… your happiness separated you from me, so she and your friends all had to go._ "

"I WAS FUCKING HAPPY TO BE WITH HER!" Shinji roared. "SO YOU LOVED ME!? THAT'S WHY YOU DESTROYED THE BEST THING THAT  _EVER_  HAPPENED TO ME!?"

" _Yes, Shinji, I may not understand the feeling of love, but I do believe it is called that._ " Kaworu said sullenly. " _But Shinji–kun, what surprises me more, is that you asked only about her and not what I needed you for to further my goals, or that you also seem to not care about the fate of the planet in general. Clearly you are… attached to her…_ "

"So that's why you kicked me out last night?" Shinji asked. "Because I asked about Asuka?"

" _Of course, Shinji–kun._ " Kaworu said. " _It hurt me for you to bring her up after I worked so hard to get her out of my way…_ "

"What do you mean?!" Shinji shouted.

" _What I mean is that I did say all those things to her she was screaming about… Mari too._ " Kaworu said. " _And don't even get me started on Rei… they were all so easy to manipulate, it almost wasn't challenge this time around…_ "

"What are you talking about?!" Shinji asked angrily.

" _Hwy you care so much for a girl that clearly doesn't love you back._ " Kaworu said. " _It's astonishing how you could care for someone as selfish as her… you'd apparently let the planet go to hell just for her…_ "

"She's not the selfish one!" Shinji roared. "You are! I could give a shit about the planet, I only care about Asuka!" Shinji shouted. "I love her with all of my soul, A.T. Field and all!"

" _Well then, I have my answer._ " Kaworu said. " _I would never have been able to have you._ "

"What does it matter?!" Shinji shouted.

" _I guess it doesn't matter really._ " Kaworu said. " _I've even failed my mission. This isn't even Adam, this is Lilith. I do so dislike being tricked into doing the chores of others. Yet I know I can feel him here…_ "

"I don't care who it is!" Shinji shouted.

" _Well, that is interesting._ " Kaworu said. " _How did you find this out?_ "

"I would only ever tell a friend how I found out!" Shinji shouted.

Kaworu raised his eyebrows. " _Well, I guess I deserved that._ "

"You deserve a lot more than that for what you did!" Shinji screamed. "You completely destroyed whatever happiness Asuka had left, and for that, I can never, ever forgive you!"

" _I do deserve much worse…_ " Kaworu said as he looked up at Unit–01. " _Shinji–kun, I know it is not my place, but I simply must ask you for one favor._ "

"Why the hell should I do that?!" Shinji shouted at him. "Why would I help you?!"

" _It is not about helping me, it is about ending me._ " Kaworu said. " _I am not long for this world anyway. I simply request that you end my life. Please kill me, Shinji–kun. You should be the one to do it… I realize now I have caused you a lot of pain and suffering, and you should exact your revenge._ "

"But… I can't kill you, you're human!" Shinji said angrily. "I don't kill people! I'm not a murderer!"

" _No, Shinji, I am not human. I only look human through a long and complicated list of currently irrelevant circumstances._ " Kaworu said. " _I am just another Angel, please, kill me, as it is your duty to do so._ "

"So, if you're not human…then everyone was right… you weren't anything like me… you were just… using me…" Shinji said quietly. "Then I guess I don't have any other choice…"

" _Yes, I did use you, Shinji–kun, and I am your enemy…_ " Kaworu said. " _But before you do what is necessary, Shinji–kun, I would like to ask you one question._ " Kaworu asked.

"What?" Shinji asked. "What gives you the right to ask a question?!"

" _The final request of a marked man._ " Kaworu said. " _Please, I just want to know one thing._ "

"Fine, go ahead." Shinji said coldly.

" _Shinji–kun, could you have ever loved me?_ " Kaworu asked. " _Could you have loved me the way I loved you?_ "

"Maybe in another life…" Shinji said. "Maybe if you hadn't had hurt Asuka so badly… we'll never know now, will we?"

" _You are right, Shinji–kun, it is my own fault I will never know for sure._ " Kaworu smiled. " _Then this is my penance for those actions, and I can have hope for a different future. Perhaps things will be different next time…_ " Kaworu said. " _Goodbye, Shinji Ikari…_ "

Shinji gripped the right control yoke and then thought about the motion to close his right hand into a fist. As Shinji saw Unit–01's hand close, he saw Kaworu's head pop off, and felt Kaworu's body get crushed by the pressure into a pulpy substance, he could feel everything as it crushed, every bone, every organ, and the warm feel of the blood as it ran from the crushed remains of Kaworu's body in Unit–01's closed hands.

"KAWORU!" Shinji screamed. "I THOUGHT YOU WERE MY FRIEND!"

To Be Continued

* * *

A/N: I do not own Evangelion or any of the characters, GAINAX and the other distributors of NGE related material do. I am simply using them as a backdrop for my fanfic.

Sync Score Rankings!  
Shinji – 92.5% (+24.9%)  
Kaworu – 90.0% (+30.0%)  
Mari – 22.5% (-2.5%)  
Rei – 20.0% (-2.3%)  
Asuka – 12.5% (-6.8%)  
Toji – 12.0% (+3.9%)

And so ends Kaworu's arc in the story. Things have changed a bit here, and Kaworu's motivations, his wanting Shinji to himself, and after having been through this world more than he would like, he had understandably gone a bit crazy. So, he wanted to begin instrumentality for himself and create a world where it was just him and Shinji. Thankfully, Shinji came to his senses in the end (or was rather forced to do so), and put things right. However, now Shinji is all alone, and Kaworu's mission from SEELE, to disrupt NERV's operations was successful.

Also, Asuka, Rei, and Mari's individual troubles will be exacerbated as well, Asuka's aimlessness without Shinji, Rei's new found power and her difference from her friends, and for Mari, the loss of someone else she loves, and her best friend are digging at her because it's happening a second time in her second life of sorts.

Also, on Rei referring to Shinji as "onii–chan"… those were Rei II's last words about Shinji, so put simply, that's been engrained in Rei's memory, and she'll do whatever it takes to protect Shinji.

Now, going forward, Third Impact is coming. No need to hide from that, it's how these stories go. However, the way we'll get there in this story will be different, so stay tuned, because the next three chapters will be setting up the events that lead directly into New Year's Eve and the events surrounding Third Impact.

As I said before, and will always say at the end of chapter, please leave comments, as I would like to try to improve the story going forward any way I can. And, hell, constructive criticism is a good thing.

* * *

つづく


	4. Disappearing Act

Neon Genesis Evangelion: Legacy  
Episode VI: Return of Reality

* * *

Chapter 4 – Disappearing Act  
December 25, 2016 – Outside Tokyo–3

Kaji was driving around outside the city, trying to clear his head to think about things. His status as a double agent was starting to pull him in many directions, and things were beginning to come to a head.

"So… Shinji had to kill Kaworu…" Kaji muttered. "Had to happen, I guess. Shinji's the only one who could do it though… I should have stayed to talk to him, but I have to try and get things straight…"

Kaji sighed. "Everything's going straight to hell. Shinji's a wreck, Asuka hates everyone, Mari's despondent, and Rei is… well, she's not the Rei we're used to. Maybe things can be different, but it's going to take one hell of a shock."

"I wonder if this last Angel was the one that was referenced in everything I've read…" Kaji said. "The one they recovered from the Impact Zone during the expedition." Kaji paused when he heard his phone ring. "Shit, who could it be now?" Kaji picked up the phone. "Wait, it's not this phone… it's the other one…" Kaji opened his glove box while he sped along and pulled out a robust cell phone, flipped a switch and opened it. "This is Kaji."

" _Code in…_ " The gravelly voice on the other end said. " _Death._ "

"Rebirth." Kaji replied.

" _Are we secure?_ " The voice on the other end asked.

"As always." Kaji replied. "What is so urgent that you call me at this hour."

" _We need you to procure something for us._ " The gravelly voice said.

"What is it this time?" Kaji asked. "More documents, or some other data? Or do you need the children's schedules."

" _No, we need a person._ " The gravelly voice said. " _The Sub–Commander himself._ "

"Isn't that a bit risky?" Kaji asked.

" _We no longer have the luxury of time._ " The gravelly voice replied. " _He has very unique information we need. Facts we need filled in. He's been by Ikari's side all these years._ "

"How do you think I can do this?" Kaji asked. "You do realize he's under guard."

" _We have people inside that can help with that._ " The gravelly voice replied. " _They should be able to provide an ample distraction… and we will keep Ikari tied up while you do your part, Kaji._ "

"It's a bad plan." Kaji replied. "The kind that get fouled up because of poor planning."

" _Just carry out our orders and everything will be just as it was before._ " The gravelly voice said coldly. " _You will grab him tomorrow morning from his quarters, he will have been drugged, so there will be no resistance on his part. There is no need to worry about three plan, all contingencies have been thought of._ "

"Fine…" Kaji said as he hung up the phone and tossed it onto the floor on the passenger side. "Yeah, that's what I'm worried about, the plan could go sideways and then what…?" Kaji sighed as he pulled the e–brake on his Ferrari and did a tight turn to face the other direction and sped off back towards Tokyo–3.

"I need to go give Misato something." Kaji said. "I don't think I'll have another chance after this next assignment. I've got a bad feeling about what I'm about to do…"

–––

Asuka was wandering around the city trying not to think about how depressed she was. The sun was about to set and had left its distinctive reddish glow hanging in the sky. She looked disheveled, but otherwise ok. As she walked through the older section of town near where Rei lived, she kept glancing around, as if looking for somewhere to stay. She had a small, wrapped package clutched tightly in her hands with no one to give it to considering it was Christmas and the gift itself was for Shinji.

"How can I hate someone and love them at the same time?" Asuka asked herself. "Shinji was such an asshole to me… he ruined our relationship by siding with that… that arschloch!"

Asuka threw Shinji's present to the ground, banging up one of its corners, crumpling it in a bit. "Stupid Shinji always ruins everything!" Asuka screamed. "He never loved me! He lied to me just so… so he try and take advantage of me!"

Asuka shook her head and looked down at the gift she had wrapped for Shinji months ago. "How can I even think that, though?" Asuka asked herself. "He always protected me… even when he didn't want to pilot Unit–01, of course that idiot liked me…" Asuka bent down and picked up Shinji's present. She dusted it off and held it against her chest. "Why are my feelings so confused?!" Asuka muttered. "I can't love and hate him at the same time! Why do things have to be this fucking complicated?! I just want a nice Christmas with my boyfriend, but I hate him so much I want to punch him in his stupid face!"

Asuka kicked the ground and stubbed her toe. "Gottverdammt!" Asuka shouted. "Why do I even bother caring about anything?! What the point when I'll never be happy! Every time I'm close to being happy, life just fucking takes it away from me!"

"I hope that bastard Kaworu is dies!" Asuka screamed. "He tricked my Shinji and turned him against me!"

Asuka, shaking with anger, sat down on the ground and stared at Shinji's present. "First my mother… then Shinji… and even my ability to pilot an EVA… what other happiness can life take from me if I have nothing left…?"

–––

Misato was over at Kaji's apartment. After getting a cryptic phone call from Kaji to come over as soon as possible, Misato gladly rushed from the apartment to go see him, but was worried why he called her so late. When she got there she saw his car taking up two spots, which was unusual because Kaji wasn't a dick and knew how to park his car.

"He must be pretty excited…" Misato muttered. "After today, I could use a good screw."

Misato knocked on Kaji's door and he answered it immediately, wearing just a bathrobe. "Hey there, beautiful." Kaji said. "Won't you come in?"

"Why are you even asking?" Misato asked. "You called me, remember?"

"I'm just being polite." Kaji said. "We both know why you're here…"

"I dunno, you were pretty vague on the phone, Kaji." Misato replied.

"I need to give you something." Kaji said jokingly. "Something real good."

"Why are you acting like we're in college?" Misato asked. "Just tell me you want to have sex with me and get it going."

"Jeez, Misato." Kaji replied. "Some of us like a bit of foreplay before we stick it in."

"Don't act all hurt." Misato said as she cupped her supple breasts. "You know what's waiting for you, why bother with the lead up?"

"Makes it all the more enjoyable…" Kaji said. "Don't you remember that week back in college? How much fun that was?"

"Yeah, I remember, but we said it then, Kaji." Misato said. "Never again."

"I know, but a little foreplay will help me… be there for the long haul." Kaji replied.

"Seriously, all night?" Misato asked.

"Do you have other plans?" Kaji asked.

"No, but…" Misato began.

"Then it's settled." Kaji replied. "You'll stay the night."

"Sure, Kaji." Misato replied. "But you can have your foreplay after the first round." Misato unzipped her skirt, revealing a lacy pair of panties. "I want it now."

"Well, that's direct." Kaji smirked. "I like it."

"Come on already." Misato moaned as she grabbed Kaji by the arm and pulled him to his bedroom. "The drive over here was wait enough."

"Fine, just be patient." Kaji said as he pulled something off his dresser. When he looked back at Misato, she was completely naked.

"I'm waiting…" Misato said as she tapped her foot impatiently on the ground. "If I wait any longer, you're not gonna like what happens."

"You make a hard bargain, Misato." Kaji said as he slipped his robe off. "So, how's this going down?"

Misato laid down on the bed, her face resting in Kaji's pillow and her ass up in the air. "Care to take a guess, big guy?"

"Well…" Kaji said. "I'll take my chances."

"Just don't…" Misato began. "No, don't put it in there! Hey, what is that?"

"What do you think?" Kaji asked.

"Kaji, you've been in there before, what else is up there?"

"Call it a special surprise…" Kaji whispered in her ear.

–––

Mari was sitting alone in the apartment. No one had come home that day, and she hadn't seen anyone for at least a few days. After losing her Section 2 detail, she went to her favorite karaoke bar to try and cheer herself up, but it just kept reminding her of everything she was trying to repress. So after wandering around for a few hours, she decided to come home and hopefully talk to someone, but only found an empty apartment.

"Well, this sucks," Mari muttered. "I hate being alone like this… it just feels off. No Asuka to make fun of, no Shinji to scold us for being childish, and no Misato accuse Shinji and Asuka of having sex… I miss that."

Mari got up and wandered around the apartment. "So this is what it's like to be alone…" Mari muttered. "It's worse than being stuck with Lilith… at least there I knew I was alone. Here, there are loads of people around… but none of them are reachable… Shinji's being an ass… Asuka hates life… Rei isn't herself… and Misato is… distant at best…"

Mari went into Shinji's room and laid down on his bed. "This is the closest I'll get to being near someone unless everything gets fixed somehow…" Mari said. "But he's been gone so long, it barely smells like him anymore… and Asuka's bed only smells like sadness and tears… and I don't think I want to lay in Misato's bed… so this is all I've got left."

Mari rolled over and clutched Shinji's pillow to her face. "I miss all my friends… I always end up so alone…"

* * *

December 26, 2016 – Tokyo–3, City Center

Misato and Kaji were lying together in bed as the sun was cresting over the horizon. Kaji was stroking Misato's hair while she smoked a cigarette.

"Kaji, what is all this?" Misato asked. "What was the thing you gave me?"

"Besides my love?" Kaji asked.

"Stop being so weird." Misato said. "Why are you all cagey?"

"We're being watched." Kaji said in a hushed voice. "I've given you my everything… just don't waste it…"

"What are you…?" Misato started.

"Don't worry about it, Misato." Kaji said. "Today everything will be dealt with."

"Kaji stop dodging my questions." Misato said.

"I love you, Misato." Kaji said. "But I have to get ready for work…"

"Work, what work?" Misato asked.

"Just… work." Kaji said. "I'll call you later."

"Kaji…" Misato said.

"Don't worry Misato, I'll see you later."

"Kaji… I love you too…"

"I know." Kaji replied. "Still love hearing you say it though."

"Kaji wait." Misato said as Kaji was about to leave. "Can you do me a favor?"

"Sure." Kaji mumbled.

"I got a sample from last night I need you to run." Misato said.

"I'll pass it off to someone I know." Kaji said. "What's it for?"

"To see if Kaworu really was my father…" Misato mumbled.

"Do you really want to know?" Kaji asked.

"I don't want to know." Misato replied. "I need to know."

–––

Fuyutsuki groggily woke from his slumber. Instead of waking up in his room as he always did, he woke up in a dark room. He felt his wrists were tied to something, and his legs were restrained. However, as Fuyutsuki was trying to ascertain his surroundings, he heard a gentle humming. Then, he his eyes shut as the light from twelve monoliths flooded his vision.

"Well… why am I not surprised." Fuyutsuki said.

"Ah… Professor Fuyutsuki." 'SEELE 01' said. "How good of you to join us."

"I don't believe I had much of a choice." Fuyutsuki said.

"We've been wanting to speak with you for some time." 'SEELE 01' replied. "We had some questions we want answered."

"I'm not sure I can help you gentleman." Fuyutsuki replied. "I don't remember much in my old age…"

"Do not presume us to be fools." 'SEELE 04' said. "We know how closely you work with Ikari, Professor Fuyutsuki."

"Ahhh… that's a name I haven't heard in some time…" Fuyutsuki replied. "I haven't been a professor in some time… not since your group decided they wanted to live forever that is."

"It was a necessary evil." 'SEELE 07' said gleefully. "For the betterment of mankind."

"Sure it was." Fuyutsuki replied. "And what about the three billion dead?"

"Expendable." 'SEELE 12' replied.

"So if that many people are expendable." 'SEELE 02' said.

"Then it would be in your best interests to tell us what you know, Professor Fuyutsuki." 'SEELE 06' said menacingly.

"Starting with Yui Ikari."

"Ah… Yui…" Fuyutsuki said. "It's a shame she's gone now… she was such a nice person. I could see it from the first time I met her…"

**_Flashback_ **

**_Yui opened the door and walked in. The lab was quite spacious, and had several lab desks for experiments, a storage cabinet in the corner, an area to put live specimens, and also a proper desk which was covered in what looked like research reports, and pens, but there was also a cleared space in the middle with three folders. One was open, and Yui recognized her own picture in its cover page. 'Well at least they got a nice picture of me from Tokyo University.' She thought._ **

**_"Won't you sit down Ms. Ikari?" Fuyutsuki said, looking over at the young woman standing in the doorway of his lab. She had been looking around quite intrigued at the lab. She looked somewhere between extremely nervous and fascinated, which he thought was quite an odd combination, and somewhat endearing. "Ms. Ikari?"_ **

**_His calling her name broke her out of her trance. "Sorry, sir, I'm… just a little nervous." Yui stammered. She walked over to the chair Fuyutsuki indicated and sat down. At this point she had butterflies or something else jumping around in her stomach. Fuyutsuki simply surveyed her with a calm look._ **

**_"So, I read the outline of the research you wish to accomplish while you are here in Kyoto. I was quite impressed by the work you are looking to do." Fuyutsuki said._ **

**_"Thank you, sir." Yui bowed her head in thanks, and as she did she noticed her cheeks were becoming quite warm, Fuyutsuki noticed this as well._ **

**_"I can see you are quite modest in your abilities by your reaction to my comment. There is no need to blush Ms. Ikari." Fuyutsuki said kindly. 'She's quite reserved for someone so intelligent, she seems to be quite conscious of the fact she is smarter than most, and is embarrassed when people point it out.' Fuyutsuki thought to himself. "Ms. Ikari, what are you hoping to accomplish with your research?" he asked inquisitively._ **

**_"Well, Professor, please call me Yui. If we are to be working together, it would be more than acceptable to call me by my first name." Yui was still blushing as she said this, and still sounded nervous, but when she spoke again, she sounded much more confident than before. "But to answer your question, I hope to gain insight on being able to communicate with other people's souls, though some sort of contact, one soul to another, so that people can truly begin to understand each other. People are separated by some sort of barrier, and I want to find a way for that barrier to be weakened. I if can do that, maybe war would be a thing of the past, and the future would look a lot brighter. That is what I hope for most of all through my research, people to understand each other."_ **

**_"Well, Yui, I think that is a very noble goal, when I read your paper, I saw that it was quite technical, with no reason behind what you wanted to do. Now that I have some understanding in what you wish to accomplish, I am more than happy to accept you into the program." Fuyutsuki smiled as he said this. "Now the term begins on April 1st, so be ready to move in for that date, you and the two others in this program will be living in single rooms on campus, and will each have your own lab space, and access to mine if needed. I may also ask for your help occasionally with some of my classes, if you are up to that of course, it may help give you practical experience with explaining your work to others. I know I am giving you quite a lot of information all at once, but according to your school records, you can handle it. So does all of that sound reasonable to you, Yui?"_ **

**_"Yes, professor, that seems more than fair." Yui smiled, and the blush on her face began to fade, and she felt relieved and much less nervous than when she came and sat in Fuyutsuki's office. "But, I'm curious, who are the others in the doctoral program?" Yui asked, wondering if she had read their work, or if there was a boy she could meet that was interesting in the same things as her._ **

**_"I don't want to give that away just yet, but I can tell you that the other two in the program are girls." Fuyutsuki said with a smile._ **

**_As Fuyutsuki said this Yui was saddened a bit. 'No boys for me… ' She thought, cursing her luck silently. "Well, I look forward to meeting them, seeing as we'll all be working together, it should be fun." And once again Yui smiled happily at the thought she was closer to her dreams than the day before. 'I'll have to call Shinji and tell him all about this when I get back.' Yui thought. 'And I'll have plenty to write about in my diary tonight.'_ **

**_End Flashback_ **

"So, she was as intelligent as the other two in your doctoral program?" 'SEELE 01' asked.

"They were all equal." Fuyutsuki replied. "Each of them was smart in their own way. Yui and Kyoko were certainly more mature than… well, I'd rather not discuss her…"

"Your third student." 'SEELE 08' asked. "The one that died during Project Alcion?"

"The very same." Fuyutsuki replied. "I… I don't like discussing her."

"Why not?" 'SEELE 04' inquired. "She was just a student… a face with no name."

"Her loss was great." Fuyutsuki said. "Such a young life cut tragically short in the name of science… her and her friends both suffered such horrific fates… especially considering I actually remember all of my students, especially the exceptional ones."

"Their sacrifice was needed." 'SEELE 03' replied.

"Yet one Unit–01 has also absorbed an S2 Engine… making it a god in its own right." 'SEELE 09' said. "What blasphemy."

"The creation of a supreme being is unacceptable." 'SEELE 01' added.

"Man must not create Gods." 'SEELE 02' agreed. "No one should possess such power."

"Can we trust Gendo Ikari?" 'SEELE 10' asked.

"Can you trust Ikari, Professor?" 'SEELE 11' asked.

"Why wouldn't I?" Fuyutsuki asked in return.

–––

Shinji was wandering around NERV staring at his hands. Since the previous night, Shinji had yet to go home or sleep. He kept looking down to his hands and seeing what he thought was blood.

"I know he wasn't human… but he looked so human… what did I do to him…" Shinji kept muttering to himself. "Yet the blood won't come off… will I ever be able to wash my hands of this?"

Being as despondent as he was, he didn't notice anything around him, or even where he was until he literally bumped into someone. When he looked up he saw the concerned face of Kaji looking down at him.

"Hey kiddo." Kaji said kindly. "I've been looking everywhere for you."

"Why?" Shinji asked. "Why would you be looking for a killer?"

"Shinji, you're not a killer." Kaji said. "Trust me, I would know."

"But Kaworu, I killed Kaworu!" Shinji cried. "I should die for what I've done!"

"Shinji, he was an Angel." Kaji said. "You didn't do anything wrong."

"But…" Shinji muttered. "He looked… he looked so human."

"Shinji, looks can be deceiving." Kaji said. "You don't look like a typical hero, Asuka doesn't act like a typical soft girly–girl she can pretend to be, I don't look like a responsible adult, and Misato…"

"I get it." Shinji said gruffly.

"I don't think you do, Shinji." Kaji replied. "So we're going for a little ride."

"To where?" Shinji asked.

"Oh, let's call it a surprise." Kaji said. "Come on, my car's on the surface, so we'll take the elevator up."

"Don't… why?" Shinji asked.

"Shinji, you need to get away from here for a little while." Kaji said. "A day out of town isn't going to be a problem."

"Kaji… I'm really not…" Shinji muttered.

"It's settled, Shinji." Kaji said. "Come on, you could use it, plus it's been a long time since we talked…I promise the ride will be fun."

"I guess so…" Shinji muttered. "But I just want to be alone…"

"At times like these, it's best not to be alone." Kaji said as he led Shinji to an elevator. "Trust me, you need people to help you through this. I've been in this place before, Shinji, after my brother died."

"Taichi… right?" Shinji asked.

"Yeah, Taichi." Kaji said as the elevator began ascending. "Look, we'll talk more in the car, ok?"

"Yeah…" Shinji muttered. "I'm just surprised there's someone left that cares about me…"

"Why are you surprised, Shinji?" Kaji asked as the elevator reached the top of the shaft and dinged open. "You're a great kid, there are plenty of people that care about you. Why do you think people stopped caring?"

"Because I'm an idiot." Shinji replied as they walked out through the topside entrance into the center of Tokyo–3. "I screwed up everything with everyone… they all hate me now… but Kaworu was so convincing… he was so… nice…"

"Shinji, have you tried talking to anyone since last night?" Kaji asked as they got to his bright red Ferrari.

"No… I'm afraid they'll hate me." Shinji said. "Asuka told me that she hated me the last time I saw her, and Mari tried to kill me the last time I saw her… I don't think any of it can be fixed… or if it's even worth it seeing as I'm such a shitty friend."

"Shinji, you can't think like that." Kaji said as they got in the car. "Things aren't that black and white. When they said those things, they were obviously upset."

"How would you know?" Shinji asked.

"Because I've been there before too, with Misato." Kaji said. "When we broke up nine years ago… well… we said some things we both regret. Doesn't mean we meant them."

"But Kaji, I turned my back on them and they hate me!" Shinji said. "And they were right! Kaworu was evil!"

"So are you afraid of letting them know they were right, or are you afraid they hate you?" Kaji asked.

Shinji didn't have a response and just sat there quietly looking off into the distance as the large buildings began to shrink into a more residential setting.

"It takes a strong person to admit they're wrong, Shinji." Kaji said.

"So?" Shinji asked.

"Oh, Shinji." Kaji said. "You're going to have to talk to them again. They're your friends. Hell, Asuka's your girlfriend, you shouldn't give up on things that easily. You're basically running away."

"She broke up with me!" Shinji said angrily. "Why did she have to do that!?"

"I bet she was angry because you didn't listen to her." Kaji said. "Asuka doesn't like being ignored you know."

"I now, but she wasn't listening to me…" Shinji muttered.

"Shinji, sometimes in a relationship you have to compromise." Kaji replied as he upshifted. "Even if you don't think she was right, you have to suck it up sometimes because you love them." Kaji sighed. "You do love Asuka, don't you?"

"Of course I do!" Shinji replied as Kaji pulled onto the highway, putting Tokyo–3 firmly behind them.

"And she loves you, right?"

"I… I don't know anymore…" Shinji said despondently.

"Well, the way you guys have been the past few months, I'd say she loves you." Kaji said. "You guys would die for the other one… so how could she hate you? If you go and apologize, I'm sure she'd take you back."

"How do you know?" Shinji said. "How do you know any of this?!"

"I apologized to Misato." Kaji said. "And she apologized to me."

"After eight years." Shinji said. "Asuka won't ever forgive me…"

"Shinji, you won't know till you try." Kaji said. "What's the harm?"

"She'll tell me to go to hell." Shinji replied.

Kaji sighed. "Well, we can talk about that later." Kaji said. "Why don't you try to sleep for the next hour or so, ok?"

"Why?" Shinji asked.

"Well, we should be where we're going by then." Kaji replied.

"Where is that?" Shinji asked.

"You'll see soon enough." Kaji said. "Don't you trust me?"

–––

Gendo was sitting calmly in his office. He had expected Fuyutsuki hours ago, but assumed he had been called away to deal with something else government related. So, Gendo put it out of his mind until his faithful problem fixer, Yamato Yamada, rushed into his office in an uncharacteristic panic, without even bothering to knock.

"Commander, we have a situation!" Yamada shouted as he ran up to Gendo's desk.

"What is it?" Gendo asked calmly.

"Sub–Commander Fuyutsuki has been kidnapped." Yamada replied. "He's nowhere to be found."

"How can that be, he's watched just as closely as the pilots are." Gendo replied. "Perhaps he has a meeting with those doddering old fools in Tokyo–2."

"His apartment is empty, yet his credentials and briefcase are still inside." Yamada said. "He was taken against his will."

"If he has been taken, then SEELE will be behind it." Gendo said. "But it's nothing to worry about, Yamada, Fuyutsuki will not tell them anything of use."

"Commander, I'm more worried how our entire protection net has failed to stop a group sent to kidnap the Sub–Commander."

"It wasn't a large group, and it consists of people we trust." Gendo said. "That is the only way Fuyutsuki was taken without us knowing about it ahead of time."

"Sir?" Yamada asked.

"Where are Dr. Akagi and Inspector Kaji?" Gendo asked.

"Akagi is in her lab, and Kaji has taken Shinji somewhere." Yamada said. "He shook his tail about 15 minutes ago."

"Interesting…" Gendo muttered. "It appears our double agent has been turned."

"I knew he was trouble…" Yamada said angrily. "I'll go deal with him myself."

"No… you will keep an eye on the good doctor." Gendo said. "After you have Colonel Katsuragi jailed for good measure."

"Her as well?!" Yamada shouted. "Is there anyone here you that is trustworthy?!"

"Well, I'm going to stay on the safe side." Gendo said. "Katsuragi will do anything for Kaji if asked, but I would rather not lose three of my senior staff all at once… two is more than enough…"

"So Akagi as well…" Yamada muttered.

"Yes…" Gendo replied. "When the time comes, her usefulness to me will have been expended."

"And Kaji?" Yamada asked.

"Once Fuyutsuki has returned, you are free to fix that problem." Gendo said. "He is no longer of any use to me."  
–––

Fuyutsuki was having trouble staying awake. After having presumably been drugged and brought to wherever he was, he had not been allowed to rest at all. He had found out, quite unfortunately, that the chair had an electric current running though it that would shock him as he was falling asleep.

"These methods are quite barbaric." Fuyutsuki muttered.

"They are necessary." 'SEELE 01' replied. "We need certain information from you."

"Yes, and keeping me awake and sleep deprived is the way to do that." Fuyutsuki replied sarcastically.

"It is the only way to ensure your cooperation without resorting to more unscrupulous methods." 'SEELE 09' said.

"Well, then." Fuyutsuki said. "Why don't we get this over with."

"Do you really wish to rush the process, professor?" 'SEELE 02' asked.

"Are you implying it would be detrimental to my health?" Fuyutsuki asked.

"Those are your words, professor." 'SEELE 12' replied.

"Very well." Fuyutsuki said. "Why don't we continue this cavalcade of nonsense?"

"How familiar are you with the technology that built the Evangelions?" 'SEELE 08' asked.

"They were my students." Fuyutsuki said. "Those three girls made the discoveries possible to manipulate the things we use to fight the Angels. One of them even came up with a definitive way to identify the existence of the soul."

"We are aware of their research." 'SEELE 01' replied.

"And I am the last living link to it all." Fuyutsuki said. "I was there when they presented their findings. I know how they came to their conclusions."

"So do we, we have their research notes." 'SEELE 10' said.

"But you didn't see their natural process." Fuyutsuki said. "It's a shame you disposed of them so quickly, otherwise your plans wouldn't have been so delayed by the incompetent efforts of the Doctors Akagi."

"No, their knowledge would have allowed them to figure out our plans." 'SEELE 05' replied. "Naoko and Ritsuko Akagi are too arrogant and self–centered to notice what is right in front of their face."

"We also have the luxury of Akagi the younger being in our employ." 'SEELE 11' bragged.

"It seems stupid to tell me that." Fuyutsuki said. "What if I escape?"

"The risk of that is negligible." 'SEELE 09' replied.

"Of course it is." Fuyutsuki muttered.

"I'm more interested in how you came to know Gendo Ikari."

"Ha… he wasn't Ikari then." Fuyutsuki said. "His name was Rokubungi."

**_Flashback_ **

**_Fuyutsuki's office phone rang. "Good afternoon, Professor Fuyutsuki, Metaphysical Biology. What can I do for you?" He said._ **

**_"Hello, this is the Kyoko Police Department. Do you know a Gendo Rokubungi, professor?" The duty officer said._ **

**_"Not directly, I've only heard rumors about him since he transferred to the university." Fuyutsuki responded._ **

**_"Well, he says a Yui Ikari told him to use you as a reference." The officer replied._ **

**_"Yui did? Well that's interesting. Anyway, what about Rokubungi?" Fuyutsuki asked._ **

**_"He needs to be bailed out, sir, he was in quite a fight at a bar." The officer said._ **

**_"Me? Well, I guess that'll be all right, when should I come by?" Fuyutsuki asked._ **

**_15 minutes later, Fuyutsuki arrived at the police station to bail out Gendo. The weather had also changed in last 15 minutes as well. Clouds had rolled in and a heavy rain was falling. Gendo was led outside to be released into Fuyutsuki's custody. "Professor, it's a pleasure to meet you. I've been waiting." He had bruises on his face and his right arm was wrapped in bandages and in a sling, and he was wearing his jacket over his shoulders. "A woman I know has told me so much about you, and I've wanted to meet you for quite a while."_ **

**_"Well, I guess the rumors about you are true, getting into a drunken bar brawl is right on the money." Fuyutsuki replied gruffly._ **

**_"Well, the argument was a little one sided, and I'm used to getting bad reactions from people." Gendo said, rubbing his injured arm._ **

**_"Well, you're certainly going to get one from me." Fuyutsuki turned to walk away._ **

**_Gendo laughed. "Well, professor, you are just the man I was expecting." Gendo laughed again and followed the professor back to the university._ **

**_End Flashback_ **

"I never understood why Yui decided to fall for a man like that, she could have done so much better…" Fuyutsuki muttered.

"How was that your concern, professor Fuyutsuki?" 'SEELE 07' asked.

"As her professor, I had a very large interest in her career going forward." Fuyutsuki said. "I did not see Rokubungi being a help to her career whatsoever."

**_Flashback_ **

**_As a treat before her dissertation, Fuyutsuki was going hiking with Yui. The grounds of the university went into the hills, and the biology and geology students went up there to work. But for those who enjoyed a bit of hiking or nature walking, it was the perfect place. Now being nice wasn't the only reason Fuyutsuki was bringing Yui on this hike today. It had been three weeks since Fuyutsuki had bailed Gendo out of jail, and he wanted a few private questions with Yui, without anyone to interrupt or overhear._ **

**_About halfway up the trail, after talking about trivial matters, the weather, and other small talk, Fuyutsuki finally got up the courage to talk to Yui about Gendo. He started off rather bluntly, I might add. "You told him about me?"_ **

**_Yui was caught off guard, and was unsure what her sensei was talking about. "Huh?"_ **

**_"You told Gendo Rokubungi about me? Why would you tell him about me?" Fuyutsuki didn't sound angry, but he wasn't happy either, it he sounded more irritated than anything else. "And why would he call me when he gets into trouble?"_ **

**_Yui finally realized what he was talking about, having bailed Gendo out of jail. "I'm sorry, sensei." Yui was truly sorry. 'I hope I didn't offend sensei, I was just hoping they would become friends.' Yui took another moment to choose her words carefully. "Sensei, did it bother you that I told him about you, and asked him to use you as a reference?"_ **

**_"No, it didn't, Yui." Fuyutsuki sighed, all the anger that he had held onto for the last few weeks disappeared when Yui had asked that, she had realized it had made him angry, but Fuyutsuki decided it would be for the best to let it go. However, he did have a few other questions to ask. "Yui, are you dating him? Gendo, I mean."_ **

**_"Well, yes sensei, I am." Yui blushed a little while thinking about Gendo. "I've been dating him for a while now, and I really do like him." Yui blushed even harder at the thought of loving Gendo._ **

**_"Well, I'll concede that he is an out of the ordinary fellow. He's just not the kind of person I would associate myself with… under normal circumstances." Fuyutsuki said._ **

**_"Well, would it surprise you to know that I love him?" Yui asked._ **

**_This statement made Fuyutsuki stop in his tracks and spin around. "What?!" He was floored, if his jaw had not become so tense it should have dropped to the ground out of shock_ **

**_"I told him so the day he was arrested." Yui started, and she started looking at the ground, swaying slightly with her hands clasped together at her waist. "And after I told him, he kissed me, in front of everyone, right on the quad!" Yui looked up at Fuyutsuki. "I figured the reason he got beat up was because he kissed me and some people didn't like that because of how he acts. But he's not as bad of a person as everyone thinks, he's really quite kind and sweet, at least to me anyway." Yui sighed. "I was glad you got him out of jail, I just didn't realize you judged people based on rumor."_ **

**_"Yui, I didn't mean it like that, I just don't trust him, it has nothing to do with the rumors, and it's just a gut feeling I have." Fuyutsuki said defensively. "I just don't see you spending the rest of your life with him, Yui." Fuyutsuki sighed heavily and placed a hand on Yui's shoulder. "I just don't understand what you see in him. Or why you would want to… "_ **

**_Yui cut him off, and said in a kind and gentle voice. "Sensei, I know it's difficult to understand, but I think I can explain it." Yui looked right at Fuyutsuki with her kind eyes. "He hates being alone and so do I, and I find that quality in him quite endearing." Yui smiled. "Other people just don't understand him, or know all the horrible things that have happened to him in his life. If I had gone through those things, then… well, I can't be sure, but I certainly wouldn't like to be around people a lot, even if I hated being alone."_ **

**_Fuyutsuki was completely unable to respond to what Yui had said. Instead of responding he merely nodded at her and smiled. They continued the rest of their hike in silence until they came back within view of the University. "Well, sensei I'm off to the lab, I have a dissertation presentation to prepare for." Yui said happily._ **

**_"Right, that's next week isn't it." Fuyutsuki had completely forgotten to ask Yui how that was going, but to be fair, he had been distracted by other things. "I'm sure whatever you prepare will be top of line work, as always."_ **

**_"Thanks, sensei, I'll see you later." Yui said cheerfully._ **

**_End Flashback_ **

"How was that story remotely relevant?" 'SEELE 02' asked.

"It just goes to show how deep the love between the two of them is." Fuyutsuki said. "Perhaps if you didn't ignore the human condition, things would be better for you."

"The human condition is useless." 'SEELE 01' lauded "That is why human instrumentality is our ultimate goal… there will be no more human condition."

"It's a shame you want to eliminate the best part of humanity." Fuyutsuki said. "And replace it with some insane god complex of yours."

"Yet it will be done." 'SEELE 01' bragged.

–––

Hikari was relaxing at home. She had just gotten back from Toji's apartment, and after another failed attempt to have sex with him due to Sakura's untimely interruption, Hikari was planning a better way to jump her boyfriend's very eager bones. She was alone, because her father was busy working, and her sisters were out shopping. So, she was tidying up as she always did, and was trying to relax after her frustrating day.

"I love Sakura, but she's always checking on us." Hikari said. "How can I get it on with Toji if she's always there watching us…"

**_♪DING DONG♪_ **

"Oh, who could that be?" Hikari muttered as she walked to the door. "Haven't I been interrupted enough today?" When Hikari opened the door, she saw Asuka standing there. She was dirty and looked like she hadn't bathed in several days. "A… Asuka?" Hikari asked. "What are you doing here? What happened?"

"I need somewhere to stay." Asuka said tiredly.

"Asuka, why are you covered in dirt?" Hikari asked.

"I've been outside." Asuka said. "I didn't want to go home… there's nothing there for me anymore…"

"Asuka, why were wandering around outside?" Hikari asked.

"I can't go home anymore." Asuka muttered. "It reminds me too much of Shinji, and I can't stand to be around the memory of him."

"Asuka… you can't run away from your problems." Hikari said.

"Yes I can!" Asuka shouted. "Shinji gets to, why can't I! I'm not even an EVA pilot anymore! I'm nothing without that, and I'm nothing without Shinji!" Asuka broke down crying, collapsing into Hikari's arms. "Why did Shinji have to be so dumb! Why did he have to ruin everything by being friends with Kaworu?!"

"I don't know why, Asuka." Hikari said. "Maybe a bath will make you feel better… we need to clean you up."

"But… but can I stay?" Asuka asked. "Please…?"

"Of course you can stay." Hikari said. "You can sleep in my room with me."

"Ok…" Asuka muttered as Hikari gently led her away from the front door and locked it. "Asuka, what are you holding onto so tightly?"

"Baka's present…" Asuka muttered. "A present I'll never be able to give him…"

"Asuka, things will work out." Hikari said. "I know they will."

"What if they don't?" Asuka asked. "What if I'm alone forever?"

"Asuka, just hand me the present, and I promise we'll find a way to give it to Shinji."

"Ok…" Asuka said quietly as she handed Hikari the battered gift.

Hikari sighed as she led Asuka to the bathroom. "Guess that plan's out the window. But Asuka needs my help more than Toji does right now… she seems so broken…"

–––

Fuyutsuki was still tied to his chair with the dozen monoliths surrounding him. He was staring at them intently as they continued to question him on seemingly irrelevant information about Gendo and Yui.

"Why is it you were invited to Antarctica?" 'SEELE 03' asked.

"I believe Yui chose me to go in her stead." Fuyutsuki replied. "She was busy raising Shinji if I recall."

"Why would go?" 'SEELE 02' asked. "You were under no obligation to go."

"I was curious to say the least." Fuyutsuki replied. "However, naming the research ship after the man who died was in poor taste…"

**_Flashback_ **

**_When it came over the speakers they were approaching the remains of Antarctica, Fuyutsuki got out of his bunk and headed for the main interior deck that would have a better view of the outside. When he made it to the windows, he was applauded by what he saw, an ocean of red, and small peaks poking out from the bloody water. "What happened here?" He said. "The peaks are like headstones to mark a continent, and the lives lost here."_ **

**_"Something extremely terrible I suspect, but's that's what we're here to find out, Professor Fuyutsuki." Said a voice from behind Fuyutsuki._ **

**_Fuyutsuki recognized the voice. He spun around, and was greeted by a man he believed had died almost two years ago. "Gendo Rokubungi?" Fuyutsuki was shocked to see the man before him, assuming that he had heard he was in Antarctica around the time of the explosion, he had assumed, logically, that Gendo was dead. "You're alive?!"_ **

**_"Ah, Professor, I am very much alive. I was lucky enough to leave for Japan the day before the accident. I'm glad you could make it." Gendo said, smiling slightly. "It's also not Gendo Rokubungi anymore. Some things have changed since the last time we saw each other."_ **

**_"It's also not Professor anymore, seeing as Kyoto was destroyed." Fuyutsuki replied as Gendo pulled out a postcard. "A postcard and not a business card?" He said as he took it and looked it over. It featured a cute blue haired angel hugging a heart, with the name Yui Ikari stamped at the top. 'Yui… what an interesting stationary choice.' He thought as he looked over the note. The message was quite short._ **

**We're married.**

**Gendo and Yui Ikari**

**It has been a long time. Are you doing well?**

**_Fuyutsuki was completely stunned. As much as he knew that Yui loved Gendo, he never suspected that this would happen. "Ikari? Gendo… Ikari?"_ **

**_"Yes, I took my wife's name when we married. I realize it's unusual, but I wanted to show her my full devotion, and taking her surname was certainly a concrete way to prove it." Gendo said proudly. "As for the postcard, my lovely wife has been asking to send this to you for some time now, she is still quite a fan of yours, even after all this time."_ **

**_"Quite an honor considering everything that happened with Mari…" Fuyutsuki trailed off into thoughts of telling Mari that her research would take off by leaps and bounds if she went to the U.K. "So how is Yui doing, why isn't she on this expedition?" he asked._ **

**_Gendo smiled. "She wanted to come as well, but we have a child to consider now, so she decided to stay home and care for him."_ **

**_"You have a child?" Fuyutsuki said, surprised at the prospect of Gendo being a father._ **

**_End Flashback_ **

"This is inconsequential to our question." 'SEELE 01' asked as Fuyutsuki was violently shocked.

"Well, you asked… I'm explaining." Fuyutsuki replied.

"Tell us what he wanted you to do there." 'SEELE 11' asked.

"Research I suppose…" Fuyutsuki said, receiving another shock for his sarcasm.

"Is the pain really worth it?" 'SEELE 06' asked.

"Pain?" Fuyutsuki asked. "What pain do you know? You were all safe from Second Impact. You dint see the ravages of war everywhere, people turning into monsters because of what happened. Morality and decency went out the window because of you, and you're asking me if these little shocks are bothering me?! I lived for a year in that living, breathing hell that was Earth after Second Impact. If you think these shocks are a problem for me, you are sorely mistaken! But I'll tell you what he wanted me there for…"

**_Flashback_ **

**_A label next to the door said Isolation Room Number 2. "What are we doing here, Ikari?" Fuyutsuki asked._ **

**_Gendo pointed through the window of the door. Sitting there was a teenage girl with deep purple hair. She was dressed in an aqua green pajama top and matching pants. She was also wearing a Greek style cross around her neck, and was sitting in a chair in the fetal position. Her face looked as though she was both sad and horrified, and her eyes had a blank stare to them. 'A 1,000 yard stare…' Fuyutsuki thought. "Who is she?" he asked._ **

**_"She is the only survivor of the Katsuragi expedition, her name is Misato Katsuragi." Gendo informed him._ **

**_"Wait… Katsuragi, as in…" Fuyutsuki began._ **

**_"Yes, she is the daughter of Dr. Kenji Katsuragi, the namesake of the ship we are on." Gendo said. "She hasn't spoken since it happened. The U.S. picked her up when they came to search for survivors, and released her into Japan's custody the day after Old Tokyo was nuked. It's quite a shame. Her mother was killed in the attack, leaving her a ward of the state with special needs. So she was released into the AEL's psychiatrists' care."_ **

**_"That's a vast understatement, Ikari. This poor girl saw hell first hand, and has to live with that knowledge the rest of her life." Fuyutsuki said solemnly._ **

**_"Yes, her physical wounds were quite easily healed, however she has a scar on her chest to always remind her of what happened, so her psyche will need much more time to become whole again." Gendo said, as he looked at Misato with what appeared to be a look of concern or dismay. "It is quite a shame for her."_ **

**_"Indeed." Fuyutsuki said quietly, still looking at Misato's silent and still figure in the isolation room. "Why is she in there? Why is she not out in the world? Or at least not locked away in a room?"_ **

**_"Why you ask? It's simple, she saw Second Impact, and she's in no state to be on her own. So until she recovers, then she will stay under constant observation, under lock and key." Gendo replied calmly._ **

**_"Ikari! That's ludicrous, keeping a girl locked up because she saw what happened." Fuyutsuki shouted, sounding more outraged than before._ **

**_"It's for her own protection. Imagine if the media were to get ahold of her name. She would never be left alone, and the constant guilt of being the only survivor would be constantly being brought up by the media." Gendo said. "We're trying to protect her from all of that, by doing this. It's simply safer."_ **

**_"I won't tolerate this, Ikari. She shouldn't be locked up!" Fuyutsuki said angrily as he began to walk away. "But seeing as I'm only here as a set piece, I'll go back to my room, and stay out of the damn way."_ **

**_"Well, Fuyutsuki, I see the idea of this is still bothering you. If it's still a problem, why not come to work for me at Gehirn?" Gendo turned and left in the opposite direction. "See you soon."_ **

**_End Flashback_ **

"So you joined Gehirn to what, save the world?" 'SEELE 08' asked.

"What other choice was there?" Fuyutsuki asked. "It was either that or stay in that godforsaken hell that I'd been living in for over a year. I don't regret choosing comfort over my ethics… I have been comfortable since that decision was made."

"Do you regret your decision, professor?" 'SEELE 01' asked.

"Only that I've had to work so closely with you lot." Fuyutsuki replied as he received yet another shock.

–––

Kaji and Shinji had been in the car for over an hour. Shinji had fallen asleep shortly after leaving Tokyo–3, and Kaji was happy that he had.

'Poor kid.' Kaji thought. 'He probably hasn't slept right in a few days, and I doubt he slept after he crushed an Angel in his hands… he looks at peace though, at least for now… at least before SEELE tries whatever they're planning.'

Kaji pulled off the highway at the exit he was looking for. Somewhere familiar to Shinji, somewhere he might get a sense of himself again.

"Hey, Shinji, wake up." Kaji said. "We're almost there."

Shinji stirred and looked up at Kaji. "Huh?" Shinji asked. "Where are we?"

"Look around." Kaji said as he turned down a residential street. "You must recognize it."

"It can't be…" Shinji said. "Atsugi?"

"Yep." Kaji replied. "I figured maybe coming back here would make you realize what you were missing back in Tokyo–3."

"What do you mean?" Shinji asked.

"Other than living with your sensei, you hated it here, right?" Kaji asked. "You were alone and didn't really care about life that much."

"That's not entirely inaccurate." Shinji replied.

"So… being here will remind you that no matter what happened, Tokyo–3 is the home of your friends and everyone you care about."

"But they don't care for me anymore." Shinji said.

"That's not true, Shinji." Kaji said as he pulled in front of a house. "But seeing as you won believe me, maybe you'll believe someone else."

As Kaji pulled up the parking brake, Shinji looked out and recognized exactly where they were.

"S… sensei?" Shinji muttered as he saw Jushiro Kyoraku walk out of the house.

"Hello, Shinji." Jushiro said as he got to the car. "How have you been since I last saw you."

"I've… it hasn't been great." Shinji replied.

"Shinji, I think you're leaving some stuff out." Kaji said. "Why don't we go inside ad chat a bit about things."

"Mr. Kaji, you can pull your car into the garage." Jushiro said. "I've cleared out some room for it."

"Thank you Professor Kyoraku." Kaji replied. "Go on, Shinji, I'll be inside in a minute."

A few minutes later, after Kaji stashed his car in the garage, and everyone settled down in Jushiro's living room, Shinji explained everything that had happened since the moment he arrived on Tokyo–3. Sachiel and his first battle in Unit–01, meeting Rei, Mari, and Asuka, making new friends, battling against Zeruel, being trapped in Unit–01, and then the more recent events. Once the explaining was done, Jushiro, who had stayed very quiet, leaned forward and looked straight at Shinji.

"Shinji, I think you need to go back and fix things." Jushiro said. "You seemed so happy when you were explaining everything, especially when you talked about Asuka. You said you love her, and I believe you. So, you should try and fix things with her."

"But it won't work." Shinji said. "She hates me."

"Shinji, love like you've described is something that is hard to break. Even in death it survives." Jushiro said. "So, there is a good chance if you go talk to her, things will get better. And before you say anything, young man, you won't know until you've tried."

"I guess…" Shinji said.

"Well, then that's settled." Kaji said. "Shinji, we should probably get going."

"So soon?" Shinji asked.

"Yes, we can't be gone too much longer." Kaji said.

"Oh, Mr. Kaji, I got those tickets you needed for the train." Jushiro said.

"But we drove here, Kaji." Shinji said.

"Oh, the car is staying here for now." Kaji said. "It's safer that way."

"Why?" Shinji asked.

"I'll explain on the way." Kaji said. "Come on, I'm sure Misato is worried about where you are."

"You didn't tell her?" Shinji asked.

"That's why it's called a surprise." Kaji said. "Thank you, professor for welcoming us into your home."

"Shinji's always welcome here." Jushiro replied. "And I'll be happy to look after that car till he comes of age."

"What?" Shinji asked. "You're giving me your car?"

"Why not?" Kaji asked. "Someone should use it."

"But…" Shinji protested.

"Not here, Shinji." Kaji replied. "When's the train leave?"

"Half an hour." Jushiro replied. "You'll have plenty of time to get there."

"Cool, thanks again." Kaji said. "It was nice to meet you."

As Kaji went to the door, Shinji paused for a second and smiled. "It was nice to see you again, sensei. Even if it was only for a few minutes."

"It was a few hours, Shinji." Jushiro replied as he hugged the boy. "But it was nice to see you again too." Jushiro smiled. "Now get going, you have a city to get back to."

"Right…" Shinji replied as he followed Kaji out the door.

The pair walked in silence, with Shinji hurrying behind trying to keep pace with the taller man in front of him. As the pair of them got to the train station a short time later, Kaji was hurrying Shinji to one of the awaiting trains bound for Tokyo–3.

"Shinji… I need you to listen, ok?" Kaji asked. "Just let me get the whole thought out, ok?"

"Ok." Shinji said. "Why were you so quiet on the way here?"

"Just let me explain." Kaji said. "I know your life is hard, you've dealt with more death and combat than some full grown adults who saw World War III. You've been dealt a shitty hand, but you can't let that get to you, you have to fight through the unhappiness, not be swallowed by it." Kaji said. "You also need to stop running away from everything and deal with your problems. Go apologize for not believing Asuka and Mari, you love them both, and I'm sure they miss you. Don't repeat my mistake of letting things sit between you and Asuka for too long. Ever since I met Misato again, I regret not fixing things sooner… learn from my mistakes, ok?"

"Kaji, why are you telling me this?" Shinji asked. "What are you saying?"

"Look, what I have to do next may be the last thing I do." Kaji said. "So I need someone I can trust to watch over Misato and Asuka… you're the only person that can do that."

"Kaji…" Shinji said. "You don't have to go."

"Look, Shinji, I know I'm gonna die. I have to go and make things right." Kaji said. "I'm leaving you my car, and I want you to fix everything with your friends. Can you do that for me, as my last request?"

"I can try." Shinji said. "But you don't have to go."

"That's all I ask." Kaji said as the train bell dinged and the doors closed, Kaji pushed Shinji in as the doors closed between them. "Bye, kid." Kaji said happily. "It was nice knowing you… and I'm better for it."

As the train pulled away, Kaji could hear Shinji screaming his name. As Kaji walked to an adjacent train track, he got on a train bound for Tokyo–2. "Now it's time to set things right, even if it kills me…"

–––

Misato was sitting quietly in her office. She hadn't gone home yet because there was a stack of paperwork to go through from Kaworu's death. It was deathly quiet outside her office, but in her sleep deprived state, she didn't notice three men in black suits walk in led by Yamada himself.

"Lieutenant Colonel Katsuragi." Yamada said as he tapped Misato's desk to get her attention. "Come with us."

"Huh?" Misato asked. "Why the hell would I go with you?"

"It's for your protection, from those you know." Yamada replied. "And I'll need you to give me your sidearm."

"Again, why?" Misato asked.

"Enough questions." Yamada said angrily. "Come with us, or we'll have to do this the hard way…"

"Fine." Misato said as she pulled her gun out a little too quick for anyone's liking, and had four guns pointed at her as she handed it over.

"Overreact much?" Misato asked.

"Not at all." Yamada said. "You're an excellent shot."

"Well, where am I going?" Misato asked as Yamada took her gun.

"Lockup." Yamada said. "For isolation purposes. Just follow me."

Misato followed behind Yamada to the lower levels of NERV. The walls were drab and unpainted, and the hallway was plain. Misato was led into one of the cells and the doors was closed behind her. There was no light in the cell once the door slammed shut, leaving Misato in a darkness she wished never to revisit again.

"Just like Second Impact…" Misato muttered s she felt for the bed and curled up into the fetal position. "I hate the dark because of that day…"

* * *

December 27, 2016 – Outskirts of Tokyo–2

Kaji was lurking about SEELE's meeting place in Tokyo–2. He had brought Fuyutsuki there for a reason besides the fact those he was paid by wanted him. Kaji wanted to hear some things for himself. After bugging Fuyutsuki and listening to SEELE's extensive interrogation, he was heading back to fix what he had done. On the way there, he saw a lone phone booth on his final approach to their base and decided he should make one final phone call.

Brrring… brrring… brrring…

" _Hey, you've reached Misato Katsuragi and the gang, you know what to do!_ "

BEEP

"Heya, Misato, it's me." Kaji said. "Just calling to say I'm sorry I won't be home tonight. I know I should have told you this before but I don't think I'll be back for a while. Shinji knows what to do… just have him look after things for me, ok? And keep those kids together no matter what. You're a great mother, those kids can't do any better than you… tell Asuka I loved her like a daughter…" Kaji sighed. "I'm getting a bit off point here… I think I'm starting to ramble. Anyway, what I'm trying to say is that I didn't tell you what was going on because I know you'd want to help, and those kids need you more than I do. I love you, no matter what happens. Goodbye, Misato… until next time…"

Kaji sighed as he hung up the phone. "Well… I don't know what comfort that'll be… but at least I tried to say goodbye." Kaji looked around and headed for the nondescript compound in the distance. "Time to set things right once and for all."

–––

"Tell us about the contact experiment." 'SEELE 01' said.

"What about it?" Fuyutsuki asked. "You should have all the data."

"We want Ikari's reaction." 'SEELE 05' asked.

"We are trying to understand the man we are up against." 'SEELE 11' said. "You are the only logical choice."

"And your death will cause him great discomfort." 'SEELE 08' added.

"How nice of you to add that." Fuyutsuki said. "On that day…" Fuyutsuki muttered. "That day was awful…Shinji was there to see his other's triumph, and it simply ended in tragedy, all because of your interference."

**_Flashback_ **

**_Naoko was monitoring her screen and continued to read out the pertinent data. "Link stabilization at 99% and holding… copy rate is at 25 GB/s… process is estimated to be 2% complete." Naoko reported. "Readings are stable… no change in the subject… hold on, there is a fluctuation in the A.T. Field strength of the subject and in the Core! The Core is trying to overpower the subject! SDU has been forcibly shut down by the Core, and its linking directly with the Link Tube!"_ **

"Increase the EM stabilizers and ATF Modulators to compensate!" Gendo and Fuyutsuki shouted in unison.

**_"EM Stabilization now at 40%… ATF Modulators focused on lowering the Core's A.T. Field to acceptable levels… no response!" Naoko shouted._ **

**_"PUT THE DAMN THINGS TO OVERLOAD IF YOU HAVE TO, I'M NOT GOING TO LOSE HER! IF THAT DOESN'T WORK, CUT THE FUCKING POWER!" Gendo roared. "YUI!" Gendo called into the mic. "CAN YOU HEAR ME?!"_ **

**_"EM Stabilization and ATF Modulators increased to 250% output to compensate… no response… the subject's AT. Field is nearing the critical limit… it's past the point of no return! We can't save her…" Naoko said, doing her best to sound surprised. "Cutting the power to the Link Tube…" The large power cord attached to the Link Tube fired a retro rocket to eject, and fell loudly to the floor of the test chamber. "No effect… the Core is supplying enough power to complete the task!"_ **

**_"Attempt emergency deactivation sequence Omega–055." Fuyutsuki said. "Now!"_ **

**_"Initiating forced emergency ejection… command failed… it was rejected by the Link Tube…" Naoko said, a note of surprise in her voice._ **

**_Gendo cried out, banging his fists against the glass of the control room. "YUI!"_ **

**_In the control room, Gendo was beside himself. "OVERRIDE THAT LOCKOUT, NOW!" Gendo screamed._ **

**_"I can't, Director, we've been cut off." Naoko replied._ **

**_"DAMN IT ALL, I'LL DO IT MYSELF! OUT OF MY WAY AKAGI!" Gendo roared as he moved to the control console._ **

**_However, as he did so there was a brilliant flash of light and then silence. The displays in the control room began to display "SIGNAL LOST." The control room went dead quiet, and everyone had a look of horror on their faces. Gendo fell to his knees and held his face in his hands. Shinji kept looking out the window of the control room, wondering where his mother was._ **

**_"Where's mommy?" Shinji asked. When he got no response from anyone, he spoke louder "WHERE IS MY MOMMY!" He screamed._ **

**_"She's gone, Shinji, she's gone…" Gendo replied hollowly as he got up and left the control room._ **

**_End Flashback_ **

"And that's that." Fuyutsuki said. "Everything you've done over the years, you created your own worst enemy."

"Gendo Ikari is no threat to our plans." 'SEELE 07' said.

"He is insignificant." 'SEELE 05' added.

"Irrelevant." 'SEELE 12' piled on.

"And no longer needed." 'SEELE 01' finished. "As soon as we are done with you, then he will be next to be taken care of and our plan will be complete."

"Goodbye, Professor Fuyutsuki." 'SEELE 03' said as the twelve monoliths went dead.

As the monoliths went dark and left the room in utter silence, Fuyutsuki heard a gun cock and then a shot. He cringed in his seat, waiting for the end that didn't come.

"Well, professor, you seem to be alright." Kaji said.

"Kaji?!" Fuyutsuki shouted. "What are you doing here?!"

"Fixing a problem I created." Kaji said. "Sorry about getting you into this, but I needed to understand a few things myself, and it let me do a few things while you were… indisposed."

"Why did you do this?" Fuyutsuki asked.

"I was looking for the truth." Kaji said. "Of what happened to cause Second Impact."

"And did you find what you were looking for?" Fuyutsuki asked.

"Yeah, no one is really innocent from back then." Kaji said. "But you certainly didn't do anything horrible… even creating Rei wasn't awful, considering your reasons."

"So, why are you here?" Fuyutsuki asked.

"Besides saving you?" Kaji asked. "I need to ask you a favor, but only once we're free of this hell hole."

"Fine, do you have a plan?" Fuyutsuki asked.

"Yeah, get you to a train." Kaji said.

"And what about you?" Fuyutsuki asked.

"My fate's been sealed, either from Ikari or SEELE." Kaji said as he finished cutting Fuyutsuki free. "Once you're safe, I'll be dead. Come on, let's go."

"Fine, let's go." Fuyutsuki said.

"Wait, you'll need this." Kaji said, handing him a gun.

"Where did you get this?" Fuyutsuki asked.

"From the guy sent to kill you." Kaji said as the two of them ran outside.

Once they cleared the perimeter, Kaji led Fuyutsuki to a car parked a good distance away from the compound. It was hidden in a thicket of trees out of sight from the main road.

"Get in." Kaji said.

"Kaji, why the rush?" Fuyutsuki asked as alarm klaxons went off in the distance.

"Because if I don't get you somewhere quickly, you'll be dead too." Kaji said. "And you can't die, because you have work to do."

"What are you talking about?" Fuyutsuki asked as Kaji turned the car on and sped off toward the train station.

"The favor I need you to do, it involves Shinji." Kaji said as he flew around a corner, cutting off several cars.

"What about him?" Fuyutsuki asked.

"You're his godfather, right?" Kaji asked.

"How do you…?" Fuyutsuki muttered.

"Research." Kaji said. "Just like I know that Mari is your third doctoral student. There are things I know that Shinji needs to know."

"What are you talking about?" Fuyutsuki asked.

"Shinji and Yui are the keys to instrumentality, aren't they?" Kaji asked.

"Well, to Ikari's version anyway." Fuyutsuki said as Kaji whipped around another corner. "But what do I need to tell him?"

"Everything." Kaji said. "He can't be left in the dark, he can't be Gendo's pawn. He needs to know so he can make the right choice. If he's the one out there, he needs to make the decision."

"What?" Fuyutsuki asked.

"Tell Shinji everything." Kaji said as he saw a car following them. "He needs to know everything that's going on considering he's the one expected to do everything. You're his godfather, it's your responsibility to tell him."

"Why?" Fuyutsuki asked.

"Do you really want Yui's son to be in the dark when the time comes?" Kaji said. "When the fate of the world hangs in the balance, do you want him going off his feelings at the moment? Because he will end the world, no questions asked."

"How do you know?" Fuyutsuki asked as Kaji pulled up to the train station with two SUVs in pursuit.

"I talked to him yesterday, and he's broken from everything's that's happened." Kaji said. "I can't explain anything else, because you need to go. Otherwise, you won't make it home."

"Kaji, what about…?" Fuyutsuki started as Kaji pulled an assault rifle from the backseat.

"Just promise me you'll tell him everything, Kozo." Kaji said. "Now take your ticket and get to track 3, you don't have any time left."

The pair of dark SUVs showed up and eight guys filed out with sub–machine guns in hand. Before they had a chance, Kaji opened fire and cut through five of them, making the other three dive for cover.

"GO, NOW!" Kaji shouted. "DON'T WASTE THIS!"

Fuyutsuki ran towards the station as Kaji changed clips and opened fire on the remaining three goons. After ducking behind the car for a few minutes as they shot uselessly towards him, Kaji popped up and blew the rest of them away. Kaji tossed the rife aside and pulled his gun to face someone hiding behind him.

"Well, Yamada, still not so great at hiding, are you?" Kaji asked.

"I don't need to, Kaji." Yamada replied "All I need to do is kill you."

"Is Fuyutsuki at least on the train?" Kaji asked.

"Yes." Yamada said. "Do you think I'm that incompetent?"

"Actually, yes, I do." Kaji said as gripped his gun tightly. "So, are going to do this, or stand around here like two old people with nowhere to go."

"Why not?" Yamada said.

The two turned on each other with lightning speed and two shots rang out breaking the gentle monotonous hum of the cicadas.

–––

Misato was sitting quietly in the dark, trying to keep calm when the door opened and light streamed into the cell.

"Colonel, it's all clear." The guard said as he handed her her sidearm and cell phone. "You're free to go."

"Huh?" Misato asked.

"The problem has been dealt with." The guard said. "You can go home."

"Ok…" Misato said as she hurried out of the cell. She looked behind her all the way to her car and didn't let her guard down until she started her engine.

"What was this all about?" Misato wondered aloud. "Did Kaji do something? And if it was him… does that mean…?" Misato shook her head. "No, Kaji would never do that to me… he would tell me if he was in trouble, I'd help him, no matter what."

–––

Kaji was slowly walking towards what looked like some sort of industrial building. He was clutching his side, the warm blood from his wound flowing over his hand. As Kaji found a wall to lean on, he heard a train fly by behind him as he saw through the twilight Yamada closing from a distance, limping slightly.

"So, you're still alive." Yamada said breathlessly as he clutched his leg, which was bleeding almost profusely.

"You don't look so good yourself." Kaji said.

"Well, do you want to try this one last time?" Yamada asked.

"Why not?" Kaji said. "You clearly can't hit the broad side of a barn."

"And you were way off the mark yourself." Yamada said.

"I'm allowed one every so often." Kaji replied.

"Don't get too used to breathing." Yamada said.

"I never understood you." Kaji said. "You're so ready to kill, yet you have no feeling."

"Tends to happen when you're a psychopath." Yamada said.

"Then the world would be better off without you." Kaji replied.

The pair leveled their weapons at one another one last time, and a flurry of shots rang out in the twilight, with a murder of crows flying out of the trees in the distance.

To Be Continued

* * *

A/N: I do not own Evangelion or any of the characters, GAINAX and the other distributors of NGE related material do. I am simply using them as a backdrop for my fanfic.

Sync Score Rankings!  
Shinji – 92.5% (No Change)  
Mari – 22.5% (No Change)  
Rei – 20.0% (No Change)  
Asuka – 12.5% (No Change)

Now, I have to start off and say that doing that to Kaji was the hardest thing I've ever had to write. I love his character so much, but his loss in the original series led to so much turmoil and distress, the impact of him dying was too great to ignore. And so this chapter is the jumping off point for the rest of this story. We have everyone split up from each other, and a whole lot of doubt and resentment between everyone. Shinji's line about blood not washing off is an obvious reference to Lady Macbeth from Shakespeare's  _Macbeth_.

Anything else that happened this chapter will be more fleshed out in the upcoming chapters, so talking about it now would just spoil the plot. Just to note, a group of crows is actually referred to as a murder, so, yeah.

As I said before, and will always say at the end of chapter, please leave comments, as I would like to try to improve the story going forward any way I can. And, hell, constructive criticism is a good thing.

* * *

つづく


	5. Revelations

Neon Genesis Evangelion: Legacy  
Episode VI: Return of Reality

* * *

Chapter 5 – Revelations  
December 27, 2016 – Tokyo–3 South Metro Station

Shinji watched as Kaji pushed him onto the train, with the doors closing between them. As the train pulled away, Shinji slammed his fists on the train door, trying to get himself out to pull Kaji onto the train.

"KAJI!" Shinji screamed. "KAJI!"

Shinji kept clawing at the door until the station was out of sight. He collapsed on the floor, crying that about what Kaji had told him.

"Kaji… why do you have to leave me too…" Shinji asked himself. "Why do you have to die? What about Misato…?" Shinji started to cry.

A few hours later, the train arrived in Tokyo–3. Shinji, being the sole occupant, didn't realize they had arrived as he'd been in the fetal position at the door since they'd left. When he realized he was holding up the train by blocking the doors from closing, he got himself up and walked off the train at the same familiar station he'd arrived at over a year and a half prior the day Sachiel attacked.

"So, I'm back here again." Shinji said. "Arriving in Tokyo–3 from Atsugi, but this time I know why I'm here… I'm here to protect the city." Shinji sighed. "What's going to happen without Kaji? He was always there for me to give me advice, whether I liked it or not. Even today… you had a mission that was going to kill you and you came and checked on me. You were the closest thing I've had to a father in a long time." Shinji did his best not to cry. "Kaji… I'm going to try my best… I'll try to fix everything… to honor you…"

–––

Ritsuko was watching as Misato was released from her holding cell. She had noticed the security presence around her having diminished slightly in the past few hours, and was furious to see Misato being released.

"How did she get out of that!?" Ritsuko muttered angrily. "I thought once they figured out Kaji was behind the kidnapping, she'd be put out to pasture! I left enough clues for that idiot Yamada to find… and that idiot still fucked it up!"

Ritsuko receded into the shadows before Misato could see her, and went back to her office. She opened her desk drawer and pulled out a handgun.

"I'm so tired by other people hurting me… it's time to show Gendo I won't be ignored anymore…" Ritsuko muttered. "It's time to hurt someone else… and I know exactly where to go to maximize the damage…"

–––

Shinji was just about done with his long walk home. With no Kaworu to go back to, Shinji had no choice but to suck up his feelings and go home, to the apartment he shared with his estranged friends. So, after a short walk from the station, Shinji saw the building in the distance. When he got to the parking lot, it was completely deserted, and there were no lights on in any of the apartments.

"Maybe I'll get lucky and nobody will be home…" Shinji said hopefully.

Shinji took the elevator up and slowly approached the front door. Shinji fumbled for his key and slid it into the locking mechanism outside the door. The light on the lock turned green and the door slid open. Shinji walked nervously over the threshold and slipped off his shoes.

"Tadaima…" Shinji said into the darkness of the apartment.

Shinji heard someone moving as he walked into the apartment, and then he felt someone hug him so tightly, he was having trouble breathing.

"Okaeri!" Mari said happily with tears in her eyes. "I didn't think you'd ever come home! I missed you so much, Shinji! I'm so sorry that I tried to choke you, I overreacted, I should have tried explaining myself more…"

"Mari." Shinji gasped. "It's ok… I was wrong, and I should have listened. Kaworu was a bad person…"

"Shinji… what happened?" Mari asked. "You never…"

"I… I had to kill him, Mari." Shinji said. "Last night, he tried to initiate Third Impact… he was an Angel… the Seventeenth Angel…"

"What do you mean you had to…?" Mari asked as she let go of Shinji.

Before Mari could continue, Shinji explained everything that had happened, and Mari gasped when she heard what Kaworu had said, and again when he talked about Kaji, yet she was confused at what Shinji was telling her about Kaji.

"So… you crushed him in your hands?" Mari asked. "Did you… uh… feel that?"

"Yes…" Shinji muttered. "Who asks something like that…?"

"Shinji, are you ok?" Mari asked.

"No, it was awful." Shinji said. "I didn't want to… he looked human… it wasn't supposed to happen." Shinji looked at Mari. "Mari, why couldn't things be different."

Mari wrapped her arms around Shinji. "I don't know, Shinji." Mari said soothingly. "I'm sorry things worked out that way, not that I'm sorry he's gone, he was a jerk…"

"You're really bad at cheering people up, Mari." Shinji replied.

"Hey, I'm still upset about he said." Mari said. "Do you at least believe me now?"

"Yeah…" Shinji said. "After everything he said, I'm sorry you had to listen to all that."

"It's not your fault, puppy…" Mari paused. "Sorry, I meant Shinji."

"Mari, you can call me puppy if you want to." Shinji replied. "We're still friends, right?"

"Of course we are, puppy." Mari said as she nuzzled him. "I missed you being around."

"You did?" Shinji asked.

"Yeah, it's boring without anyone to talk to." Mari said.

"What about… Asuka?" Shinji asked.

"Oh, I uh… haven't seen her in a few days." Mari replied. "It's… she hasn't come home at all."

"What happened?" Shinji asked.

"What do you think, puppy?" Mari asked. "She's been thinking about you this whole time. She's really upset about what happened, all she's done lately is cry."

"Oh…" Shinji said sullenly. "I did that…"

"Yes you did." Mari said. "You've got to find her."

"I know… but what do I say?" Shinji asked. "I mean, she hasn't even looked at me since… since she broke up with me."

"Puppy, when you see her, you apologize then tell her what happened." Mari said. "Considering she misses you so much, she'll take you back." Mari stared at him. "Do you miss her?"

"Of course I miss her." Shinji said. "It sucks not being with her."

"Well, why don't we go look for her?" Mari asked.

"Well… I can't… there's too much bad news to tell her." Shinji said.

"What do you mean?" Mari asked.

"Kaji…" Shinji muttered.

"Shinji, are you sure he wasn't just overreacting?" Mari asked. "I mean…"

"Mari, you didn't see him." Shinji said. "He was upset and wanted me to fix things. It seemed like he was saying goodbye…"

"Well… you can't lead with that news when you talk to Asuka." Mari said. "It'll… well, it won't make things better."

"I know that, I just can't believe he's dead." Shinji said. "I don't want to believe it."

"I won't believe." Mari said. "Kaji's too smart and too tough to die."

"No, I can assure you that Ryoji Kaji is dead." Someone said from the doorway.

"Huh?" Shinji asked.

"Who the hell is that?" Mari asked.

Ritsuko emerged from the shadows, gun in hand, pointed directly at the pair of them. "You know who it is." Ritsuko said coldly. "And you'll be coming with me."

"And what if I say no?" Mari asked as she stepped in front of Shinji to shield him.

Ritsuko cocked her gun. "You can, but you'll probably regret it."

"Really, are you just a walking cliché?" Mari asked.

"Do you really want to call that bluff?" Ritsuko asked as she held the gun against Mari's chest. "Now move, otherwise I'll be taking Shinji all on his own."

–––

Misato was still trying to keep herself calm as she drove home. After she spent about 20 minutes in the car trying to freak out, she finally started the drive home. She drove carefully for once, constantly looking to see if she was being followed. As she pulled into the parking lot of the apartment, she killed her headlights, and noticed three people leaving. When they walked under one of the lights outside the apartment, Misato saw who it was.

"Shinji and Mari…?" Misato muttered. "Being led by Ritsuko at gunpoint…? What the fuck is going on?"

Misato hid in her car and watched as Ritsuko forced Shinji and Mari into her SUV. As Ritsuko sped off, Misato followed them, staying close behind them with her headlights off.

"I don't know what the fuck she's thinking, but now it's time to find out." Misato muttered as she tried not to get caught tailing Ritsuko. "I should be able to stop her before she does anything… drastic."

–––

Gendo was once again sitting in his office, waiting to hear back from Yamada about the success of his mission. As he was patiently waiting, the doors to his office opened, and quite unexpectedly Gendo saw Fuyutsuki run through, quite disheveled but otherwise ok.

"Ah, Fuyutsuki, what a wonderful surprise." Gendo said.

"A surprise, Ikari?" Fuyutsuki asked. "Why?"

"After surmising that your abduction had been orchestrated by SEELE, and after the amount of evidence that Mr. Kaji had been their confidant, I assumed I would not be seeing you again."

"Well, it appears that Kaji is not anyone's agent." Fuyutsuki said. "He came back and released me."

"Did he now?" Gendo asked. "I didn't think that SEELE would let you go that easily."

"They didn't." Fuyutsuki replied. "There was a fire fight outside the train station. Kaji covered me as I got away."

"What a shame he'll be dead soon." Gendo said sarcastically. "Don't look so shocked, Fuyutsuki, you must have known that's what happens to traitors."

"How do you know he's dead?" Fuyutsuki asked.

"Yamada called to inform me he was as good as gone." Gendo said. "Something about a shootout at the train station, and them shooting at each other. He wounded him, but Kaji wounded him as well."

"So, we have no idea what's going on." Fuyutsuki said.

"I have faith in Yamada." Gendo said. "He is competent."

"He's also too full of himself." Fuyutsuki said. "As much as I dislike Kaji, his methods always worked, and he was never full of himself."

"We'll see what happens." Gendo replied.

–––

Ritsuko led Shinji and Mari inside, the butt of her gun buried in Mari's back. She forced them into an elevator, and swiped her pass to go activate it. As they waited for the elevator to arrive, Mari scoffed.

"So, what's the little field trip for?" Mari asked. "Gonna show us you dildo collection? Or maybe a wall of your taxidermied pets?"

"Didn't I tell you not to talk?" Ritsuko said as she held the gun against Mari's head.

"You know I don't follow your directions very well." Mari said. "Maybe it has something to do with Commander Ikari's cock being in your mouth so much…"

SMACK

Ritsuko hit Mari upside the head with her gun, and knocked the girl to the ground, clutching her head in pain.

"Hit a sore spot, did I?" Mari groaned.

"What was that for?!" Shinji shouted as he ran to Mari's side.

"I told her to be quiet." Ritsuko said as she turned the gun on Shinji. "I suggest you listen."

"Whatever." Shinji said. "Mari, are you ok?"

"Yeah, just a got a little headache." Mari replied as the elevator dinged.

"Get up." Ritsuko said. "It's here."

"No one's going anywhere." Misato said as she came out of nowhere and buried her gun in Ritsuko's back. "Put the gun down, Ritsuko. Whatever you're planning isn't going to work."

"Yes it will." Ritsuko said. "I just wanted to show them something, that's all."

"Then show us." Misato said.

"Fine." Ritsuko said.

"First, hand the gun to Shinji." Misato threatened.

"Very well." Ritsuko said as she gave the gun to Shinji.

Misato held her free hand out. "Ok, Shinji, hand it to me." Shinji silently obeyed and Misato holstered her own weapon and held Ritsuko's gun against her back. "Now get in the elevator and take us where we're supposed to go."

Ritsuko obeyed as Shinji helped Mari up and they all filed into the elevator. Ritsuko hit the second lowest button on the panel, and the elevator descended slowly into the bowels of NERV.

As they descended, Misato looked over at Shinji. "Shinji, are you ok?" Misato asked.

"Not really, Misato." Shinji said. "It's been a shitty few days."

"Why don't you tell her the news, Shinji?" Ritsuko said snidely. "Tell her hat's upsetting you now?"

"What's she taking about, Shinji?" Misato asked.

"It can wait till later." Shinji muttered. "You need to stay focused."

"It's Kaji, isn't it?" Misato asked. "He's… he's dead or something."

"He seemed to think he would be." Shinji said.

"Damn him…" Misato muttered.

"I'm sure he's dead." Ritsuko said.

"Shut up." Misato said. "Unless you have something of use to say."

"So, miso, how did you find us?" Mari asked.

"I saw her lead you out of the apartment." Misato replied. "So I followed you here to see what was going on."

"You could have shown up sooner." Mari said as she rubbed her head.

"Well, I needed to make sure she was distracted." Misato replied. "And thankfully, you couldn't keep your mouth shut."

"Glad I could help." Mari said sarcastically.

"Don't worry Mari, you'll be fine." Misato said. "You're thick headed enough to survive."

"Thanks…" Mari replied sarcastically as the elevator dinged at their distention.

The quartet exited the elevator and Ritsuko led them to a door that looked old and warn. It had a faded plaque next to it that read " _Artificial Evolution Laboratory: Annex No. 3._ "

"This is it." Ritsuko said. "Our first stop."

Ritsuko opened the door and led them inside. Inside, the room was drab and dingy. It had words and chemical formulas written on the walls, floor, and ceiling. There was a single bed and a privacy screen, some various medical equipment, a load of garbage stacked in the corners, reducing the usual floor space in the room. The air duct had a garbage bag taped over it, with some frayed aluminum foil piping coming down from it.

"This looks just like…" Shinji began.

"Blueberry's room…" Mari finished.

"You're both correct." Ritsuko said. "This is where the Rei you knew grew up. She rarely left this room until the Commander set her up at that apartment. The images of this place are still reflected in the light and water that constitute Rei's subconscious. She's always going to be trapped here, even if she's away from it."

"What the fuck…" Mari muttered.

"This is why she likes being alone…" Shinji muttered. "She grew up that way…"

"Ritsuko…" Misato said. "This isn't what you brought us down here for."

"No, it's not." Ritsuko replied. "It's just the first stop."

"Then move this along." Misato said.

"Fine, follow me." Ritsuko replied as she led them from the room into a dark and dingy corridor out onto a large balcony. The balcony overlooked a humongous room that had a cross carved into its floor. The cross was filled with humongous skulls and spinal columns. All of the skulls resembled Unit–00's head. Some of them had one eye, some had seven, but they all looked extremely old, some of them looked dingy and dirty, and others still had a sheen to them.

"What is this place?" Shinji asked.

"Are those… EVAs?" Mari asked.

"Yes, all failed experiments my mother was in charge of. She just couldn't understand the complexity of the research, and none of these things survived the initial growing stages." Ritsuko said. "Using research provided by three of former Professor Fuyutsuki's graduate students."

"He was a professor?" Shinji asked.

"Yes, specializing in many things… chief among them was metaphysical biology." Ritsuko said as she grinned menacingly. "He taught your mother, and Asuka's mother. We used their research to build the EVAs."

"Who was the third?" Misato asked.

"I still have no idea." Ritsuko replied. "Fuyutsuki has been very quiet about that. And the official records from Kyoto University were lost in the aftermath of Second Impact."

"What a shame." Mari muttered.

"Yes, it is." Ritsuko said. "Although, from what I was able to find out, the other girl died, so there isn't much that can be done about it…"

"So, your mother was a failure, but I doubt that's why you tried to bring the kids down here at gunpoint." Misato said.

"Again, just a stop along the way." Ritsuko said. "All just another piece of Rei's story. The place where out of tragedy and sadness, where she was born. Born from the tragedy that is your mother, Shinji."

"Ritsuko…" Misato grumbled as she pointed the gun at Ritsuko's head. "Move it along."

"It's fine, Misato." Shinji said. "I want to hear where this is going."

"So do I." Mari added. "What do you mean Rei was born here?"

"Ah… well, she was born an empty vessel, and the callous heart she has now was accidentally made quite by accident by none other than Fuyutsuki."

"What do you mean?" Shinji asked.

"It'll be easier to show you." Ritsuko said. "Follow me."

Ritsuko led them back off the balcony towards a door they had already passed. The door was red and looked extremely thick and heavy. When Ritsuko swiped her keycard, the door opened up to a large clear cylinder in the middle of the room, attached to a contraption of wires, pipes, and what looked like a spinal column to the ceiling above it. And all around them the walls were dark, covered in the letters commonly associated with genetic code.

"What is this place?" Shinji asked.

"It's where the Dummy Plugs were manufactured before you and Unit–01 destroyed them all." Ritsuko replied. "Do you know how the Dummy Plugs worked?"

"No…"Shinji mumbled.

"Why would we?" Mari asked. "We only pilot the stupid Evangelions."

Ritsuko pulled out a small, digital remote from her lab coat and pressed a button. "Well, this is how they're produced." Ritsuko said darkly. "This is the big secret."

The letters on the wall disappeared as the walls were illuminated from behind, casting an eerie orange glow over the entire chamber. Shinji, Mari, and Misato looked around them in utter shock, not able to believe what they were seeing. In what appeared to be a tank that almost circumnavigated the room were dozens if not hundreds of naked bodies floating around. Every single one had the same crimson eyes and pale blue hair and the same calm expression on their face.

"What the fuck is this?" Mari asked.

"They all look like Rei…" Shinji muttered.

"How is this even possible…" Misato muttered.

"Through the same technology that created the Evangelions." Ritsuko said. "These things are just empty vessels, not much more than spare parts for Rei seeing as we can no longer produce Dummy Plugs."

"What are you saying?!" Mari shouted.

"That Rei is about as human as Kaworu was." Ritsuko replied. "She has a soul pieced together from Lilith and Shinji's mother, and was created from the scraps of Yui Ikari that were recovered when trying to remove her from Unit–01's Core." Ritsuko turned to Shinji. "You do know that your mother is inside Unit–01, you must, you spent an entire month in there with her."

"So what if I know?" Shinji asked. "What difference does it make?"

"Every difference." Ritsuko said menacingly. "You've met your mother… and you've been friends with what may as well be your sister. But Rei is nowhere close to being human. She is more like the EVAs. Born with no soul, just an empty vessel of flesh and blood waiting to be brought to life, incapable of feeling or understanding. Nothing more than a life sized doll to be used and discarded as needed. Used for only one thing, to house a single soul as it is needed."

"Shut up…" Mari muttered angrily.

"They can put Rei's soul into a new body anytime. We already have twice… my mother snapped the first one's neck… and if I had bothered to look for Rei sooner, she wouldn't have been cooked alive like a roasted pig in her Entry Plug after the Sixteenth Angel… such an agonizing death, only to be brought back to life… I had to break every bone in her body just so her injuries would be realistic once I gave her a third body, otherwise you would have all been suspicious if she escaped injury… she screamed so much with every swing of the hammer and snap of her little bones…"

"You did what?!" Mari shouted.

"Ritsuko, what the fuck is wrong with you?" Misato said.

"So much…" Ritsuko muttered as she played with the remote in her hand. "They can just keep giving her a new body over, and over, and over again. So… my suffering will never end until her reset button is gone… and she can die like the rest of us."

"DON'T!" Misato warned as Ritsuko flipped a switch.

The Rei bodies' faces all went from a calm look to one of either shock or intense pain. If they were capable of screaming, the noise would be deafening. Their bodies began to slowly disintegrate, almost as though they were tearing themselves apart on a molecular level. Flesh fell apart and bone disappeared, leaving little behind but bits of floating flesh in the large pool of LCL. Shinji collapsed in shock, Mari was shaking with barely repressed rage, and Misato pointed her gun right at Ritsuko's head.

"Ritsuko, what the fuck are you doing?!" Misato shouted. "Why are you doing this?!"

"Payback…" Ritsuko said. "I lost to these… these things…" Ritsuko sighed. "His attention was slowly focusing on her… he doesn't need me anymore… just like my mother…"

"That's your reason?" Mari asked. "You were jealous of her!?"

"Yes." Ritsuko said. "She got all the attention from him while the attention slowly slipped away from me."

Mari leapt at Ritsuko before Misato could react and slammed her into the floor. "WHAT THE FUCK IS THE MATTER WITH YOU!" Mari roared as she slammed Ritsuko's head into the floor repeatedly. "WHO DOES SOMETHING LIKE THAT TO AN INNOCENT GIRL!?" Mari stopped slamming her head into the ground and began savagely beating Ritsuko's face with her fists. "WHAT DID SHE  _EVER_  DO TO YOU!?"

"She existed." Ritsuko muttered between blows.

"THAT'S NOT AN EXCUSE!" Mari screamed. "YOU THINK SHE DOESN'T DESERVE TO LIVE?" Mari shouted as she switched back to slamming Ritsuko head into the floor. "YOU'RE THE ONE THAT DESERVES TO DIE!"

"Mari, stop!" Shinji shouted.

"Mari, don't kill her, that's what she wants!" Misato shouted. "Don't give her the satisfaction!"

"I DON'T CARE ANYMORE, SHE DOESN'T DESERVE TO LIVE!" Mari screamed. "SHE'S A HORRIBLE PERSON, I'LL BE GLAD TO KILL HER!"

Shinji ran over and tried pulling Mari off, only to be thrown back.

"Don't get in my way, Shinji!" Mari shouted. "She doesn't deserve to live!"

"Yes she does!" Shinji said. "She should suffer for every bad thing she's done by having to face what she did! Don't let her escape!"

"If you don't, I'll have to shoot you." Misato said as she held the gun against Mari's head.

"Really, miso?" Mari asked. "Is that necessary?"

"Only if you don't stop." Misato replied.

Ritsuko reached her arm up slowly and grabbed Misato's gun without her noticing while she and Mari were distracted. However, Shinji was in the right position to notice.

"Misato, she's got a gun!" Shinji shouted.

"Mari, dodge left!" Misato shouted moved the gun off of Mari's head and aimed at Ritsuko's chest and fired twice, Ritsuko's grip on the gun slackened as she began to bleed from her wounds.

"Misato, shouldn't we… stop the bleeding?" Shinji asked.

"No." Misato said. "Mari wasn't wrong… she was awful…"

"Misato, she said her life was full of suffering." Shinji said. "She should have to live. Haven't we seen enough death the past few days?"

"Shinji…" Mari muttered. "Why do you want that monster to live…?"

"So she can suffer like the rest of us." Shinji said.

–––

Asuka was lying quietly on Hikari's bed. She hadn't done much since arriving there the night before. Once Hikari had bathed her, she refused to eat, and didn't speak much, which worried Hikari, because Asuka  _always_  had something to say.

"Asuka, can we talk?" Hikari asked.

"Huh?" Asuka muttered.

"Asuka, what's bothering you?" Hikari asked. "You're not being yourself."

Asuka rolled over onto her side, puttering her back to Hikari.

"Is it Shinji?" Hikari asked. "Do you miss him?"

"Of course." Asuka said. "But I dumped him, it's not like I can go and take him back."

"Yes you can." Hikari said. "Just tell him you overreacted and tell him you want him back. It's not that hard."

"But will he talk to me?" Asuka asked.

"Shinji's loved you for a long time." Hikari said. "He probably misses you just as much as you miss him."

"Do you really think so?" Asuka asked.

"Yeah, I do." Hikari said. "So stop being so depressed and go see him."

"Maybe tomorrow…" Asuka said. "I need to think of what to say."

"What is there to say other than I love you?" Hikari asked.

"I'm sorry…" Asuka replied.

–––

After a rather odd evening, Misato and the kids arrived back home. As Mari and Shinji sulked off their rooms, Misato saw the answering machine blinking. She pressed the button, curious as to who had called.

" _You have one… new message._ "

"Yeah, I know." Misato said sarcastically. "Just play the stupid thing."

" _First unheard message._ "

BEEP

" _Heya, Misato, it's me._ " Kaji said.

"Kaji…?" Misato muttered.

" _Just calling to say I'm sorry I won't be home tonight. I know I should have told you this before but I don't think I'll be back for a while. Shinji knows what to do… just have him look after things for me, ok? And keep those kids together no matter what. You're a great mother, those kids can't do any better than you… tell Asuka I loved her like a daughter…_ " Kaji sighed. " _I'm getting a bit off point here… I think I'm starting to ramble. Anyway, what I'm trying to say is that I didn't tell you what was going on because I know you'd want to help, and those kids need you more than I do. I love you, no matter what happens. Goodbye, Misato… until next time…_ "

"You knew…" Misato said. "You knew and you told Shinji before me…" Misato rested her head in her hands. "I knew this morning something was wrong, but I didn't say anything…" Misato began to cry. "Why Kaji… why did you have to go through with it? Why did you have to leave me all alone?"

As Misato cried in the kitchen, Shinji was trying to get comfortable in his bed. The last time he'd been able to sleep comfortably was the day before things blew up with Asuka. He kept tossing and turning, trying to find some position that would help him get to sleep.

"It must be difficult to fall asleep without someone there." Mari said from the doorway.

"Mari?" Shinji asked. "I thought you didn't want to talk to me…"

"Oh, I'm not mad about what you said." Mari replied. "You were right, Akagi needs to suffer for what she did to Rei… killing her would have helped her."

"Well, you certainly beat the shit out of her." Shinji replied.

"And Misato shot her." Mari said proudly. "I'd call it a good day overall."

"But what about Rei?" Shinji asked.

"I don't think it changes anything…" Mari said. "I still love her… but I understand why she's so different…"

"Because she's like Kaworu…" Shinji said.

"Don't say that!" Mari snapped. "Rei's too kind to be anything like him, got it?!"

"I know, but she's not human either…" Shinji replied. "She's only part human."

"Does that make her a different person?" Mari asked.

"No… she's just different." Shinji stammered. "Just like everyone else."

"No she's unique." Mari replied. "A special girl…"

"Mari, are you sure you're ok?" Shinji asked.

"Yeah, just tired…" Mari replied. "Too much on my mind to really try and sleep."

"Like what?" Shinji asked.

"Everything about Rei… you and Asuka… Kaji…" Mari trailed off.

"I know." Shinji replied. "A lot's happened. I guess we just have to deal with it."

"I just wish things would stop happening and everything would get back to normal." Mari said. "I liked how things were… we were all friends, you and Asuka were dating and me and Rei were…"

"In love?" Shinji asked.

"Yeah…" Mari said sullenly. "Uh… Shinji…"

"Do you want to stay in here tonight?" Shinji asked.

"Yeah." Mari said. "I don't want to be alone."

Shinji moved over in bed, and Mari crawled in bed next to him, nuzzling up against him. Except, unlike before where she'd keep her back to him, this time she faced him as they cuddled.

"Mari, why…?" Shinji asked.

"I trust you puppy." Mari said. "And I really need this right now…"

"Ok." Shinji said. "And I'm really sorry for not believing you about Kaworu…"

"It's ok, puppy." Mari said. "It's all in past." Mari smiled. "Just make sure you tell Asuka that when you see her, ok?"

"Ok." Shinji replied.

"And then play this." Mari said as she handed Shinji a disk.

"What is it?" Shinji asked.

"Oh, just something I thought would fit the mood when you got back together. Call it an apology for trying to choke you." Mari replied as she kissed Shinji's forehead. "Goodnight, puppy, and thanks for this…"

"You're welcome, Mari." Shinji replied. "Goodnight."

* * *

December 28, 2016 – Comfort 17 Apartments

Misato got up late the next morning. She didn't really sleep that well, and could only think about one thing, Kaji. Every time she rolled over onto his side of the bed, she was overcome with sadness, and just couldn't stop crying, and eventually moved out to the couch to try to get some sleep. As the sun streamed into the room from the late morning, she stared sorrowfully at the ceiling, and thought that things couldn't be much worse.

"Kaji's gone… I can feel it." Misato muttered. "He wouldn't leave a message like that… a message where he actually says goodbye… unless he was sure." Misato sighed. "I wish he would have let me help him. Maybe he could have survived if he'd had help…"

Misato shook her head and slowly rolled out of bed. She didn't really want to get up, but knew she had to, otherwise she'd be stuck in bed thinking about Kaji all day long. She looked around her room and saw something that Kaji had given her that night, shoved safely in a place no one would think to search.

"I should probably see what's on that." Misato said quietly. "But I'll have to do that somewhere secure… which means I have to go into work, and after last night…" Misato sighed. "I'd rather we all stay here… but I can't leave the kids alone, I guess they'll just have to come with me."

Misato slowly got up and walked slowly out into the living room. It was a mess, but otherwise deserted from the lack of cleanliness that resulted when Shinji was not around. Misato walked quietly towards Asuka and Mari's room to find it empty. She sighed and walked towards Shinji's room, hoping to find the pair in there, otherwise, she'd have to go looking for them. She slid open Shinji's door to see Shinji's arms wrapped around Mari's waist, with Mari facing Shinji, her face buried in his chest. Shinji's chin was resting on her head and a tear rolled down Misato's cheek.

"I'm gonna miss waking up like that with Kaji…" Misato mumbled. "I almost seems mean to wake them up too…"

Misato reached down and gently rocked Shinji's shoulder. He stirred, and looked up at her, trying not to wake Mari in the process.

"What is it, Misato?" Shinji asked quietly.

"It's time to get up." Misato replied. "Wake up Mari and get dressed, I have to go to work, and I don't want to leave the two of you alone."

"Why?" Shinji asked.

"You know why." Misato said.

"But do we really have to go back there?" Shinji asked.

"Yes." Misato said. "I'm sorry, but you do, we work there, and you two should really see someone… it's been a rough couple of days…"

"It's been a rough year…" Shinji muttered.

"I know, Shinji." Misato replied as she walked to the door. "And some days it doesn't look like it could get any better."

"How long do we have to get ready?" Shinji asked.

"Take as long as you need." Misato said. "Maybe we can go get lunch when you're ready…"

Shinji smiled nervously. "Misato, are you ok?"

"With?" Misato asked.

"Kaji…" Shinji said. "He was very…"

"Shinji… I'll…" Misato mumbled. "I'll be fine eventually. I just don't want to think about it right now…"

"Misato, you always tell me I can't run from my problems." Shinji said. "You can't hide from what happened. I didn't want to believe it, Misato, but he's… gone…"

"I know Shinji…" Misato said as she left the room. "Thanks for checking on me though…"

"That was nice of you, Shinji." Mari said quietly. "She needed that…"

"You're awake?" Shinji asked in surprise.

"I never went to sleep." Mari replied. "It was just nice to not be alone after last night…"

"Are you gonna be ok?" Shinji asked.

"Are you?" Mari asked. "We learned a lot of weird shit last night… there's a lot of stuff to process."

"I don't know." Shinji said. "It doesn't really matter where she came from, she's still Rei. Everything Dr. Akagi said was bullshit… and what she did was horrible…"

"Why do you think I couldn't sleep?" Mari said as she clenched her fists. "I kept seeing that every time I closed my eyes… it's awful…"

Shinji wrapped his arms around Mari. "Mari… just try and forget about it." Shinji said quietly. "How are your hands?"

"They hurt like hell." Mari said. "But it was worth it."

"So, do you want to get ready?" Shinji asked.

"Not really… I'd rather stay in bed the rest of the day and try to sort through what's happened." Mari replied.

"Well, I don't think we have much of a choice." Shinji said.

"Yeah, and that's what sucks." Mari muttered.

"Well, it won't get any better if we sulk about it all day." Shinji said reassuringly. "But I have one question."

"What?" Mari asked.

"Do you still love her?" Shinji asked quietly.

"I…" Mari paused. "Yeah… I do… where she came from didn't change that…"

"Then you have nothing to worry about." Shinji replied. "Now let's get ready for Misato's sake, ok?"

"Yeah… sure…" Mari muttered in reply.

–––

Rei was walking around NERV very pensively. She was carrying a large bag with her as she wandered around. She had felt uneasy since the previous night, and needed to verify the cause with her own eyes, so she bypassed the security panel on the elevator and set it to travel all the way down to Terminal Dogma. When she stepped off the elevator, she followed the same path that the others had followed the previous evening. Walking first into her old room, she looked around, contemplating her previous life.

"This was never my room, but I do feel some contempt for this place…" Rei said to herself. "Locked away in here, away from the world, away from a normal life… but I'm not normal, am I? I'm not entirely human… so was I kept down here to protect me from the world, or to protect the world from me?"

Rei walked out of her room towards where she felt a large wave of unease, the room where she spent a lot of time, the Dummy Plug Plant. She walked in and saw the tank that used to hold all her clone bodies, the sight of it before with the lifeless bodies, which not that long before held her current body was now even more revolting. All that remained was bits of dissolved flesh and bone. The previous orange hue from the tank was now a deep, crimson red, matching Rei's now tear filled eyes.

"I do not know why I am upset…" Rei muttered. "I never liked the idea of coming back to life again… and I am glad that I can no longer be brought back through the veil… but their destruction hurt me deeply… I guess I was more attached to them then I thought… I felt them die… they may have been empty shells, but they still deserved better…" A tear rolled down Rei's cheek. "They deserved a chance at life…"

Rei glanced away from the tank and saw a pool of dried blood on the floor. Rei walked over to it and stared at the shape of it, leaving a partial outline of the person who was shot.

"It's a shame she's still alive…" Rei said bluntly. "She's the one that deserves a swift and painful death… for all that's she's done…" Rei unconsciously grabbed her arm. "For torturing me…"

Rei walked away from the Dummy Plug Plant and went back towards the elevator. As she got to the elevator, she paused before opening it. She glanced behind her and went back the other way towards the massive EVA Graveyard. She stood on the balcony above it and glanced down. She then clambered over the rail and slowly climbed down the footholds in the wall. When she reached the ground and looked around the desolate landscape, Rei began moving away from the balcony, and into the abyss.

"I will no longer be a pawn in Ikari's game." Rei muttered. "I know what I am supposed to do, but I will not help end the world… I refuse to hurt anyone else… I've hurt Mari and onii–chan enough for one lifetime… "

–––

Shinji and Mari were waiting around NERV for Misato to be done with whatever the hell she was doing. But Mari was getting impatient, and decided that she wasn't going to wait around anymore.

"Puppy, let's go somewhere." Mari said impatiently. "I'm bored."

"Mari, we have to wait here till Misato is done." Shinji replied.

"You're no fun puppy." Mari said. "We could be looking for the princess you know."

"I know, but if I had to guess, she's probably at Hikari's house." Shinji said. "Plus, if she wanted to talk, she'd be home."

"Really, puppy?" Mari asked. "You're confident on that?"

"Yeah…" Shinji said sullenly. "I know her pretty well."

"Cause you love her, dummy." Mari said. "So… why don't you go wait for her at home… unless you want to karaoke…"

"No… I'm not really in the mood." Shinji said. "But if you want to go, I'll leave with you so we both get in trouble."

"Thanks, puppy." Mari said. "So, what are you waiting for?"

"You to ask nicely." Shinji replied.

"Don't be cheeky, puppy." Mari joked as they both got up and left. "It doesn't really suit you."

–––

Fuyutsuki had finally gotten up the courage to go see Shinji. He had found Shinji walking on his way back home from NERV and decided that would be the best time to talk to Shinji because he was alone. As he was approaching Shinji, Fuyutsuki remembered his final conversation with Yui, and what he had promised to do if anything had happened to her.

**_Flashback_ **

**_Fuyutsuki was looking for Yui. She had called him and asked to meet her by Lake Ashinoko to chat about something important. 'I wonder if it has to do with her contact experiment tomorrow…' Fuyutsuki thought._ **

**_He wandered around the lake's edge, and finally spotted Yui sitting on a bench near the shore with a young Shinji playing around at the water's edge. He walked over and sat down next to her. "Hello, Yui. How are you today?" Fuyutsuki asked._ **

**_"I'm fine, sensei. I know there has to be a way to bring Mai back, so today isn't a problem for me anymore." Yui said. "Well, to be honest, I'm a little nervous about tomorrow."_ **

**_"That's to be expected, Yui. It's a very important experiment, and considering the last time something like this was tried, I can understand your apprehension." Fuyutsuki said._ **

**_"It's not just that, sensei. It's something Kyoko said when I talked to her before. She had a gut feeling about all this, and I know that it's just a superstition, but I think she might be right." Yui said nervously as she watched Shinji by the water's edge. "We know SEELE tampered with Mari's test, and we're pretty sure they know we know about them. I don't see anything stopping them from doing something to me, or to Kyoko to get us out of the way. To be fair, I only really trust you and Gendo with being near that experiment, because we don't know who's on SEELE's payroll."_ **

**_"Yui, I think you're overthinking things." Fuyutsuki said. "You just need to relax."_ **

**_"No, sensei, I'm not!" Yui said forcefully. "I know it may be hard to believe, but just because I'm a woman doesn't mean I'm automatically overreacting."_ **

**_"Yui, I didn't mean that, I just meant that you need to relax, because I will be there tomorrow to make sure nothing happens." Fuyutsuki replied._ **

**_"Yes, but, I still won't feel comfortable with Dr. Akagi there." Yui said. "Something about her makes me not like her. And I don't dislike anyone usually."_ **

**_"Yui, why wouldn't you trust her." Fuyutsuki asked._ **

**_"Because, if anything does happen at that test, it will be because of her, I know it." Yui said definitively._ **

**_"Yui do you have any facts to back this up? If you do I could tell Gendo and …" Fuyutsuki started._ **

**_"No, I don't. Call it a gut feeling." Yui said in a stern voice. "And, sensei, under no circumstances are you to tell Gendo anything about this conversation, or about what I intend to ask you."_ **

**_"Yui, whatever do you mean." Fuyutsuki said._ **

**_"Eventually these monsters will need pilots, correct?" Yui said._ **

**_"Well, yes, that is the intention." Fuyutsuki said._ **

**_"Then if the test goes horribly wrong and I'm going to be absorbed into the Core, I'm not going to do anything to prevent it." Yui said. "If I'm inside that thing, than only one person can pilot the Evangelion, and that's Shinji."_ **

**_"Yui, you can't prove he'd be the only one capable of piloting…" Fuyutsuki started._ **

**_"Yes, we can." Yui interrupted him again. "The only two theories me and Kyoko came up with are that either the person whose soul was duplicated can pilot, as they would be communicating with themselves. Or, the second option, which is more disturbing, is if a biological offspring is put into the Entry Plug and made to pilot. The soul's maternal instincts would allow a sync between man and machine, and allow someone to pilot."_ **

**_Fuyutsuki was flabbergasted. "Do you really think Gendo would put Shinji in that monstrosity?" He asked._ **

**_"If that was the only option available to him, than yes." Yui replied._ **

**_"Yui, those can't be the only two options. There has to be more possibilities." Fuyutsuki asked desperately._ **

**_"Unfortunately, yes. The bond between mother and child is so strong, which makes it an unbreakable bond. I guess there could be an exception if the soul and the pilot share a connection akin to true love or some other kind of connection of that sort."_ **

**_"Gendo could pilot?" Fuyutsuki asked, confused at what Yui was saying._ **

**_"No, I love him, but as much as I once did." Yui said sadly. "There is only one other person who could possibly pilot, but that's an impossibility." Yui's face turned very red and tears poured down her face._ **

**_"Yui…" Fuyutsuki said. "Who would that be?"_ **

**_"Sensei, the only other person who I could think of to pilot, would be Mari." Yui said quietly. "She loved me, and told me so before she left, and to be honest, since she died, I think I've started to love her back. I don't know why, but it was just the look she had in her eyes when she told me. It was like she put all her soul into telling me how she felt, and all I fucking did was comb her hair!" Yui stated to break down and cry._ **

**_Fuyutsuki comforted her as best he could. "Yui, you can't blame yourself for that. Love is a complex subject no one will ever understand. But there is nothing wrong with her loving you, or you loving her back. Love is truly blind to everything."_ **

**_Yui laughed. "And here I thought you'd be an old fuddy–duddy about that."_ **

**_"Well, just because I'm old doesn't mean I can't accept when things are changing." Fuyutsuki said. "Since Second Impact, a lot of misconceptions about relationships and being gay have changed. People have become more accepting of it. I guess when the world is almost destroyed, it really makes people think about and reevaluate things. This time, I guess it was for the better."_ **

**_Yui dried her tears. "Sensei, you have to promise me this, please." She said softly. "If something does happen to me, if I don't return from that test, I want you to look after Gendo and Shinji for me and to try and find a way to bring Mari home."_ **

**_"But, Yui, is it really alright that we don't tell Ikari about this?" Fuyutsuki asked._ **

**_"If I told him, he would stop me from doing the test outright, and probably get himself killed by SEELE, you'd probably be killed too, and then I'd be forced to do the test by Dr. Akagi as his replacement." Yui said quietly. "I won't let that happen. My decision is for the future, sensei. If I'm absorbed, I intend to stay and help in any way I can."_ **

**_"For the future?" Fuyutsuki asked, unsure of what she meant._ **

**_"I'll sacrifice myself if I must for the future of humanity, sensei, and for Shinji and all future children. I know Shinji will one day be given a heavy burden if tomorrow goes the way I think it will. I just hope he can make the right decision." Yui said._ **

**_"But, Yui…" Fuyutsuki said._ **

**_"Enough, sensei. It's my decision to make, and I'll be damned if SEELE will use Shinji to end the world for them if I can do anything about it." Yui said harshly._ **

**_"How do you know all this, Yui?" Fuyutsuki asked._ **

**_"I don't, sensei. Just call it a gut feeling." Yui said, smiling at him. "Now, remember your promise, you can't tell Gendo any of this… ever. Is that understood?"_ **

**_"I understand Yui, I won't tell him, I promise." Fuyutsuki said. "And I'll find a way to bring Mari home."_ **

**_End Flashback_ **

"I am sorry, Yui." Fuyutsuki muttered. "I have been neglectful of my promise… but it stops here…" Fuyutsuki paused. "I owe it to you and Kaji that I do this… he does really need to now."

Fuyutsuki, even on his old age, was moving as fast as he could, considering just a day previously he'd been captured and tortured for information. As Shinji approached his apartment building, Fuyutsuki finally got close enough so Shinji cud him call out.

"Shinji!" Fuyutsuki cried.

Shinji stopped and turned around to see Fuyutsuki walking towards him. "S… Sub–Commander?" Shinji stammered. "Uh… hello…"

"Shinji, can we speak up in your apartment?" Fuyutsuki asked. "It's imperative that we do."

"O… ok…" Shinji replied.

The two of them took the elevator up to the apartment, and Shinji showed him inside. The pair of them sat down in the living room, with Shinji wondering to himself why Fuyutsuki was there.

"Uh… sir…" Shinji asked. "Why are you here?"

"I needed to speak to you, and only you." Fuyutsuki said.

"But why?" Shinji asked. "I'm not that important, I'm just one pilot."

"Yes, but you also happen to be my godson." Fuyutsuki replied.

"I'm your what?" Shinji asked.

"My godson." Fuyutsuki repeated.

"How is that possible?" Shinji asked. "I mean… did you really know my mother? Were you really her teacher?"

"I was her professor, yes." Fuyutsuki replied. "How did you know?"

"Dr. Akagi mentioned something last night…" Shinji replied.

"So she did…" Fuyutsuki said quietly.

"How do I know you're my godfather?" Shinji asked bluntly.

"On your fourth birthday, I forwarded you a letter your mother wrote the day she disappeared. She left it in m care, and I decided to send it to you sooner rather than alter… I believe she wrote: To Shinji, with Love From: Mommy. Do not open until…"

"…June 6, 2019." Shinji muttered in reply. "You sent that letter?"

"Precisely." Fuyutsuki said. "Is that enough proof for you?"

"No…" Shinji said. "After the past few days, I'd rather not trust someone's word right off the bat…"

"Understandable." Fuyutsuki replied. "Well… let's see… your mother named you Shinji after her brother."

"Huh?" Shinji asked. "I never knew my mother had a brother."

"Yes, he was a bit older than her and was in Japan's Air Defense Forces at the time of Second Impact. He died after bravely defending Tokyo–3 from the Chinese nuclear attack." Fuyutsuki explained. "Your mother loved him very much… she said you even look like him."

"So he was a pilot too?" Shinji asked.

"Yes, and by all accounts an excellent one." Fuyutsuki said.

"But he died." Shinji said.

"He was heavily outnumbered, but against all odds completed his mission." Fuyutsuki said. "Not unlike yourself, Shinji."

"Ok, but how does this prove you're my godfather." Shinji asked.

"Your mother also wanted you to have a safe life which is why she worked on the Evangelions." Fuyutsuki explained. "She told me this the day before her accident, she wanted to show you the bright future she was trying to create." Fuyutsuki paused. "Is that enough proof now?"

"I think so…" Shinji said. "But why did you want to see me?"

"There are things happening, things that are very difficult to explain." Fuyutsuki said.

"I'm tired of people assuming I can't understand stuff." Shinji replied. "Just tell me what it is, and I'll do my best to follow along."

"Aright, Shinji." Fuyutsuki said. "There is a plan in place to bring back your mother."

"From inside Unit–01?" Shinji asked. "How?"

"How did you…" Fuyutsuki muttered. "Ah… Yui made contact during your stay inside Unit–01's Core."

"Yeah… but what plans?" Shinji asked. "We pilot the Evangelions against the Angels, what else could there be to that?"

"Something called instrumentality." Fuyutsuki said. "The Evangelions have an immense power inside them, yours even more so now that it has an S2 Engine. You're tapped the surface of that power on several occasions…"

"Like ripping open a hole in reality to drag people here?" Shinji asked. "Or wiping out tons of enemies just by thinking about it."

"Yes, that." Fuyutsuki said. "But there is a deeper power, a more godly power, one that warps reality to the user's will. The kind of power people wish to use for their own ends. The kind of power that can bring back your mother."

"Then why is it so dangerous?" Shinji asked.

"The power is so imminence, it has the ability to nullify all A.T. Fields if put into an uncontrolled state, especially with what everyone has planned." Fuyutsuki said.

"What are you talking about?" Shinji asked.

"Your father wants to use Unit–01's power to bring your mother back, but there is another group vying for control of that power, to use it to subjugate what's left of the human race, creating themselves as the gods of men…" Fuyutsuki explained. "They want to make humanity bend to their will, which is why they caused Second Impact…"

"THEY WHAT?!" Shinji shouted.

"This group… SEELE… they brought Second Impact about to control the population and give the United Nations special powers." Fuyutsuki said. "It was all so they could bring the power of the Angels under their thumbs and wield that power how they chose fit…"

"But why is this important to me?" Shinji asked. "Why tell me any of this?"

"Because, Shinji, you are the key to this power, and SEELE knows it, your father knows it, and even Kaji figured it out…" Fuyutsuki said.

"What…" Shinji began.

"Mr. Kaji kidnapped me several days ago for SEELE so they could interrogate me." Fuyutsuki explained. "At great risk to his life, he rectified the mistake and rescued me, and made me promise to do what your mother made me promise to do 11 years ago."

"Which is?" Shinji asked.

"To protect you." Fuyutsuki said. "I don't know if this information made sense, but I do hope that if you are faced with the choice of having to control the fate of the world, you will make sure that you don't destroy us all…" Fuyutsuki sighed. "What everyone doesn't realize, your father included, is that the person inside Unit–01 will have the most the pull in the scenario… they control instrumentality, and there is no other way to properly initiate it without Unit–01's currently unique abilities. Any other way would only be a partial activation, a partial instrumentally, like what happened with Second Impact."

"Some of it made sense, I mean, Unit–01 is powerful and everything, and given everything that's happened… it's kinda hard to say if anything is impossible anymore… I just don't see how important I am to all this."

"Shinji, you are the key, they key that links you to Unit–01's… no your mother's power." Fuyutsuki explained. "You'd be in complete control of the whole thing, if it should come to pass, which it will… that outcome is inevitable."

"Why is it inevitable?" Shinji asked.

"The battle with the Angels, each of their attempts to make contact with Lilith, it has all been leading up to this…" Fuyutsuki explained. "I just hope for your sake you can avoid such… unpleasantness in having to decide the fate of the world."

"Ok, but I still don't understand about my mother…" Shinji said. "My father wants to do what exactly?"

"He wants to hijack instrumentality from SEELE and use it to bring back your mother." Fuyutsuki explained. "As revenge for their taking her away from him."

"Do I factor into the equation of having my mother back?" Shinji asked.

"Unfortunately… no." Fuyutsuki said. "But your father was broken at your loss, absolutely devastated… he's been so focused on this plan, on bringing her back, that he has little focus for anything or anyone else save for your mother…"

"Classic father…" Shinji muttered. "But I still don't get how he can bring her back… she's been trapped for a very long time."

"There is a way." Fuyutsuki said. "You came back after all."

"Yeah, but that was only a month." Shinji said. "She's been gone a lot longer…"

"It is very possible… but the person inside also has to want to come back." Fuytsuki said. "Our method of extracting her previously was tampered with by Dr. Akagi's mother, but she should be able to be safely recovered."

"Then it's possible to bring someone back after being trapped for so long?" Shinji asked.

"Well, yes, it's happened before." Fuyutsuki said without thinking. "Mari came back after all after all that time…"

"Who?" Shinji asked.

"M… oh…" Fuyutsuki stammered. "Someone, Mary, did come back."

"You said Mari." Shinji said angrily. "Why did you say Mari?"

"Shinji… you misheard…" Fuyutsuki started.

"No, you said Mari!" Shinji shouted. "How did she come back after how much time?!"

"Shinji, this is not something…" Fuyutsuki tried to explain.

"No, you're lying!" Shinji shouted angrily. "Tell me the truth! Where did Mari come from?! Where was she trapped?!"

"She was… trapped inside the Core of Unit–XP for 16 years and 11 months." Fuyutsuki explained. "The experiment she was working on was tampered with by SEELE and she was absorbed into the Core, not unlike your mother and…"

"Asuka's mother." Shinji said. "I know, my mother told me."

"And she came back, and I put her to work here to protect her." Fuyutsuki said.

"But she's been lying this whole time!" Shinji said angrily. "Just like Kaworu!"

"She was lying to protect herself, Shinji." Fuyutsuki said. "I can assure you she's nothing like that boy…"

"I don't care! We were lied to about Rei, Kaworu lied to protect himself, and I'm fucking sick of it!" Shinji shouted back. "I'm tired of people lying to me! I need her to tell me this to my face, and then I'll tell her to go to hell!"

"Shinji, that's not…" Fuyutsuki began.

"I don't care!" Shinji shouted as he pointed to the door. "You need to go!"

"Shinji, don't do anything rash." Fuyutsuki said. "I told her to lie… don't be mad at her… please… she's your godmother…"

"I am mad, and it doesn't matter if she was my godmother or if she was my mother's sister, she should have said something!" Shinji shouted as he kept pointing to the door. "She keeps saying we're best friends, and she doesn't think to even mention this?! I've told her everything, and she kept this from me! What kind of friend is that?!"

"I…" Fuyutsuki began.

"Exactly!" Shinji shouted. "Now, please leave!"

"Shinji, please, don't…" Fuyutsuki said as he stood up.

"Don't tell me what to do!" Shinji said as he rushed Fuyutsuki towards the door. "I barely know you and you tell me all this stuff like it matters! Who cares about the world, no one really deserves to be happy considering the shit that happens! If the world ended it would probably be a good thing!"

"Shinji, you don't mean that…" Fuyutsuki said.

"I do!" Shinji shouted as got Fuyutsuki through the door and slammed the button to close it. "This world should have ended during Second Impact, and then I wouldn't have had to suffer the way I've done my entire life!"

–––

Misato was sitting in her office, the door closed, and the blinds drawn. She was going through all the data that Kaji had gathered.

"It's scary how much stuff he was able to collect." Misato said as she scrolled through dozens of documents relating to the EVAs, their pilots, and NERV itself. "Who keeps records this detailed anyway? I mean, if the general public saw all this… there is no way to spin this positively at all."

Misato then began scrolling through older documents, from an organization called Gehirn and some documents from the Artificial Evolution Laboratories. "Jesus, how far back does this stuff go?" Misato wondered aloud. "I mean… wow… Project Alcion… all the way back in 1998… the pilot disappeared during a malfunction… that's the same Core Mari uses, and the pilot's picture isn't in the file… how odd considering the records they keep… and Unit–01 and Unit–02's Cores are listed as well… created from a template of the first Core recovered by my father's expedition…" Misato then found some records she was looking for, those concerning her father's employment. "So, he was working for these guys too… so they were in charge of his expedition." Misato sighed. "So Kaji was right, they are the ones behind Second Impact… it's all here, written in the subtext of all these documents."

"It's impressive he was able to gather all this data without getting caught…" Misato said. "Or rather… maybe all this stuff is one of the reasons he was killed… he knew more than he should have, way more than he should have."

Misato then happened on a picture of a young man standing in front of a plane. Kaji had written notes on the picture before scanning it in that read  _Shinji Ikari? Uncle?_  "Huh… that guy does look like Shinji…" Misato muttered before something crossed her mind. "He… he's the guy that flew me down to Antarctica… are my Shinji and that Shinji related… it can't just be a coincidence…?"

Misato sniffled a bit as she looked at some pictures Kaji that he had included in the files. The few pictures of him and his family that had survived Second Impact. Misato stared at them and tears begin to flow down her cheeks when she heard a knock on her door. Misato quickly composed herself and hurriedly closed the windows that were open on her computer screen. "Come in."

A lab technician nervously walked in. "Uh… Colonel Katsuragi? These tests were to be delivered to you." The technician said in a shaky voice.

"What tests?" Misato asked.

"Some blood samples Mr. Kaji dropped off a few days ago." The technician replied.

"Just leave them there." Misato said as she pointed to her overflowing inbox.

"Have a good day, Colonel." The technician said as she left.

Misato glanced at the manila envelope that was sitting there, and with her curiosity getting the better of her, she grabbed the test results and ripped them open. She read over the results four times before she could comprehend what they said. The blood samples from Kaworu were conclusive, they matched the samples taken from Adam, the First Angel, and her father's DNA profile that was still on file, almost like a parent's DNA would have melded to create a child.

"I just can't believe it…" Misato muttered. "Adam and my father made Kaworu… but how?" Misato stared blankly at the paper in her hands. "Is this because of Second Impact?"

–––

Mari was walking happily back to the apartment. After a fairly relaxing session of singing loudly for a restaurant half filled with patrons, Mari was much more relaxed than when she had arrived. She was a bit miffed that Shinji would rather have just gone home, but she couldn't really hate him too much considering he was waiting for Asuka. As she walked happily into the apartment, her mood was startled by Shinji's expression when she walked into the living room.

"Hiya, puppy!" Mari said brightly. "What's wrong? Princess not back yet?"

"Mari, why did you lie to me?" Shinji asked bluntly in a cold tone.

"W… wha…" Mari stammered. "What are you talking about?"

"Why would my godmother lie to me about who she really was?" Shinji asked more directly.

"Shinji, what are you smoking?" Mari asked. "How could I be your godmother?"

"You knew my mother." Shinji said. "You were her friend."

"Shinji, you're acting really weird." Mari replied. "Have you been drinking miso's sake or something?"

"Fuyutsuki told me." Shinji said as he stood up. "So stop LYING TO ME!"

"What… what did he tell you?" Mari asked nervously.

"That you were trapped inside the Core of your EVA for almost 17 years…" Shinji said. "So why did you lie about it? Didn't you trust me?!"

"Shinji… it's got nothing to do with that…" Mari said. "Fuyutsuki said…"

"I don't care what he said!" Shinji roared. "I told you everything! Absolutely everything, and you didn't tell me a thing! You lied to me, just like Kaworu!"

"Shinji… I didn't have a choice…" Mari said. "I had to protect myself!"

"You know I can keep a secret, why didn't you tell me?!" Shinji spat. "Don't you trust me, Mari?! Or were you hiding something else?!"

"Shinji, I wasn't hiding anything!" Mari said. "I just didn't know how to tell you I was friends with your mother!" Mari then realized what she had just said. "Shit…"

"WHAT!?" Shinji shouted. "You knew my mother?!"

"We were classmates…" Mari replied sullenly. "In Fuyutsuki's doctoral program… I was the third student…"

"It was you?!" Shinji asked as he moved within a foot of Mari. "You helped develop these awful things?! The things we have to fucking pilot against monsters?!"

"I… I didn't mean to…" Mari said tearfully. "I… I just wanted to transfer souls to bring my parents back… I didn't lie about that… I saw them die in a car crash… I was just trying to get them back any way I could…"

"How can I believe you?!" Shinji shouted. "You've been lying for so long, why should I trust you!?"

"Because we're still friends…" Mari asked nervously. "Right…?"

"Not anymore!" Shinji shouted. "I'm tired of being lied to by people I'm supposed to trust! How can I trust someone who doesn't even trust me enough to tell me that she's from the past?! How can I trust you after all of that, Mari, tell me that!? Why should I trust you?!"

"I… I don't know Shinji…" Mari muttered. "I never lied about caring about you… I was really glad to be your friend…"

"How can I believe that?!" Shinji repeated. "You're just like Kaworu! I can't trust someone like that!"

"Shinji… please…" Mari said as she started crying. "Don't hate me… you have to understand, I… I had to be careful about what I said about where I came from… I was trapped in that thing so I'd be out of the way…"

"I don't care!" Shinji said angrily. "You still lied, the reasons are just bullshit to cover your ass! I hate you, Mari!"

"Shinji… don't say…"

"I HATE YOU!" Shinji screamed.

"Sh… Shinji…" Mari stammered. "Please don't hate me… I… I don't want to lose you as a friend…"

"You already have!" Shinji screamed at her. "I should never have trusted you! It was a mistake to even be your friend!"

"Y… you don't mean that…" Mari said as tears continued to stream down her face. "R… right…?"

"Why would I say something I don't mean?!" Shinji shouted. "I'M NOT THE FUCKING LIAR IN THE ROOM!"

Mari looked at the hatred and anger on Shinji's face, and before he could shout anything else at her, she ran out of the apartment without looking back. She started running towards the train station, unsure of where to go. She had nowhere else, the apartment and her friends were all she knew. But with Asuka MIA, her and Rei's current relationship, and Shinji's unyielding rage being directed towards her, Mari had absolutely nowhere to run and hide, no one to confide in, and nothing to look forward to. When she got to the station, she stumbled up the steps and leaned against a wall.

"Why does he hate me so much…? He fucking hates my guts…" Mari muttered. "Why did this have to happen too…? I wanted to tell him… I just needed… needed to find the right time… and I blew it…" Mari said as she slumped to the ground. "I know I can get through to him… he's just overreacting like before… but he said such hurtful things… but he was right… I did lie to cover my ass…" Mari began crying uncontrollably. "I just wish he'd understand… I didn't have a choice… I had to lie… otherwise they'd try and kill me again… like they did to poor Kaji… or id be trapped in that thing again like Kyoko and… Yui…" Mari began shaking uncontrollably and rocking in the fetal position. "I… I don't want to go back in that thing ever again… once was enough for an eternity…"

–––

Gendo was sitting in his office. He was looking over some complicated writings that Kaji had left behind. The pictures of Kaworu's journals had finally been analyzed, and Gendo was worried. Fuyutsuki walked in silently and stood next to him.

"Is there something wrong, Fuyutsuki?" Gendo asked. "You seem… quieter than usual."

"It has been a long week." Fuyutsuki replied. "Things are beginning to move fast."

"Yes they are…" Gendo muttered. "Give me a status report, Fuyutsuki."

"Yes, Ikari." Fuyutsuki replied.

"Yamada?" Gendo asked.

"Still no word, we presume he's dead." Fuyutsuki said.

"And his target?" Gendo asked.

"No word on Mr. Kaji either." Fuyutsuki said. "But they're both presumed to be dead."

"Leave it to Yamada to have screwed this up." Gendo said. "He always had to win… sadly, Kaji was the better shot."

"But Yamada had reported shooting him already." Fuyutsuki said.

"As you know, Mr. Kaji was a very resourceful man." Gendo said. "He most likely finished Yamada off when Yamada came to gloat and then died from his wounds."

"Ikari… you sound worried." Fuyutsuki said. "I can assure you that even if he somehow…"

"No, he's dead." Gendo said. "And he can no longer interfere, regardless if he's alive or not, however, that is not what's bothering me."

"What then, Ikari?" Fuyutsuki asked.

"The documents recovered from Tabris' room." Gendo said. "He laid out a very detailed plan of attack on this city by SEELE, and the JSSDF. There was no specific date for the attack, but it will be coming very soon if my information is accurate."

"What information?" Fuyutsuki asked.

"While you were indisposed, word came to me that the series is complete." Gendo said simply. "And that the data from Nevada had been successfully integrated."

"No…" Fuyutsuki said. "We can't possibly defend against…"

"We will try nonetheless." Gendo said. "Call for Level–0 battle stations an issue an evacuation order to the city and bring the AIS online and into defensive fire mode. And then double check the internal defense systems. I know they were competed…"

"Ikari…" Fuyutsuki said. "You sound like you're readying for a war…"

"While instrumentality is my goal, there is no need to have anyone in the way of the fight." Gendo said. "Shinji will fight better knowing his friends are safe. And there has been far too much needless death as it stands."

"But all we have is Unit–01!" Fuyutsuki said. "Unit–02 has no pilot, and Unit–XP isn't finished with its repairs yet!"

"Mari will deploy regardless." Gendo said. "She's reckless enough and twice as resourceful as much as it pains me to say it. As for Asuka… she will be in Unit–02. She should be with Kyoko when the end comes, it's only fair."

"And if we survive whatever the initial assault is?" Fuyutsuki asked. "It is sure to be brutal…"

"Oh, it will be if his plans are accurate." Gendo replied. "Then we fight for control of Third Impact and instrumentality." Gendo replied.

To Be Continued

* * *

A/N: I do not own Evangelion or any of the characters, GAINAX and the other distributors of NGE related material do. I am simply using them as a backdrop for my fanfic.

Sync Score Rankings!  
Shinji – 92.5% (No Change)  
Mari – 22.5% (No Change)  
Rei – 20.0% (No Change)  
Asuka – 12.5% (No Change)

So, this chapter had a lot of storylines to fit in. Shinji and Mari finding out about Rei, Ritsuko's so long in the making mental break, Fuyutsuki's option to help Shinji, and Shinji finding out the true nature of Mari's existence.

Shinji's resolution to fix things (as he promised Kaji) comes crashing down when he finds out Mari is lying. Fuyutsuki didn't mean to let that slip, but he was feeling comfortable with Shinji and it just came out. Shinji's reaction, again way over the top, but understandable considering that he's just had someone (Kaworu) lie to him and deceive him, so he's mixing these feelings with what he's feeling about Mari, and it didn't end very well for her.

As for Shinji knowing that plan, or the rough outline, it may help, or it may not considering he's just had a lot of shit happen, so his mental state isn't exactly in the best place for instrumentality, but you'll be seeing how that goes soon enough.

Finally, even though Rei's revelation was first, it is certainly the most important. Not only did Misato and Shinji see it, but Mari was here as well, adding another layer of complexity to the scene. Their reactions to it are mixed, and this time after killing the Rei clones, Ritsuko gets the beat down she so rightly deserves from none other than Mari, who brutally beats her till she's shot by Misato. She does survive, in case that wasn't made clear.

So, all in all, a lot to cover, and several storylines that will see a conclusion in the next seven chapters, including the pending threat of instrumentality and Third Impact.

As I said before, and will always say at the end of chapter, please leave comments, as I would like to try to improve the story going forward any way I can. And, hell, constructive criticism is a good thing.

* * *

つづく


	6. Critical Mass

Neon Genesis Evangelion: Legacy  
Episode VI: Return of Reality

* * *

Chapter 6 – Critical Mass  
December 29, 2016 – Tokyo–3 Junior High School, Class 2–A

Asuka walked to the school with Hikari that morning. Things had taken a somber turn since the alarms had gone off the previous night. A mandatory evacuation for all nonessential personnel had been enacted, and Asuka just wanted to see her friends one last time before she had to go back to NERV and presumably help defend the city.

"Asuka are you ok?" Hikari asked as they walked into the nearly deserted classroom.

"Yeah, I'm just worried about why they're evacuating the city…" Asuka said. "They're never this proactive… it must be a bad sign."

"I'd guess as much too." Kensuke said. "They've sent out a list of evacuation points for us to go to be taken out of the city. We'll either be going to Tokyo–2 or Atsugi."

"By what, plane?" Asuka asked.

"Plane, VTOL, or train." Kensuke said. "All non–NERV personnel are being moved out this morning, and the rest should be moved out by tonight."

"How do you even know that?" Toji asked.

"It's on the evacuation orders." Kensuke said as he pulled a copy from his pocket. "Did you even bother to read when you're being evacuated?"

"Well… I mean, Ms. Ibuki called and said I should evacuate cause I'm not an active pilot anymore…" Toji said.

"See, this why you have me." Kensuke joked. "Otherwise you'd end up somewhere entirely different than where your sister is."

"Well, you'd keep an eye on her, wouldn't you?" Toji asked.

"Of course." Kensuke said. "She's awesome!" Kensuke paused. "I mean, she's cool."

"Dude, you're weird." Toji chuckled.

"So where are we flying to then, smart guy?" Hikari asked.

"We're going to Tokyo–2." Kensuke said. "There's a train we get on tonight. It'll be packed full of people, so don't expect a pleasant ride."

"I'd have been surprised if it was going to be a pleasant ride." Hikari said.

"So, Asuka, you're staying, right?" Kensuke asked.

"I mean, I guess so." Asuka replied. "It's not like I've checked my phone or anything lately…"

"So, have you seen Shinji at all?" Toji asked. "Or talked to him or whatever?"

"Toji!" Hikari said admonishingly. "Stop being a dick!"

"What, we're the only ones in here, who the hell's gonna hear us?" Toji asked.

"Hikari its fine." Asuka said. "I haven't seen him at all… and I don't know if I want to, but I want to patch things up, and we're gonna be at NERV together so I guess it's inevitable…"

"So… can you give him a message if you see him?" Toji asked.

"Huh?" Asuka asked.

"Tell him we miss him and good luck." Toji said. "And good luck to you too… something tells me you're gonna need it."

"Yeah, I have that same sinking feeling…" Asuka uttered.

"Hey, why aren't Rei and Mari here yet?" Hikari wondered aloud. "Rei's always here… and Mari… well, she'd follow Rei where she goes."

"No idea." Toji said. "Maybe they're already at NERV or something."

"Yeah, that's probably it…" Asuka replied. "I guess I should head there now… after I get a few things from the apartment… ah fuck it… I don't care about that shit anyway."

"Asuka, if I don't see you again…" Hikari started as Asuka began to leave.

"We'll see each other again, Hikari." Asuka said. "Don't be so dramatic. I'll see you guys in a few days or whatever."

"Just be careful." Hikari said. "Ok?"

"I'll be fine." Asuka said. "Besides, Shinji will be there too… and he always protects me no matter what."

"Even after your fight?" Toji asked.

"Yeah… because he loves me…" Asuka said as she left. "And because I love him too…"

–––

Misato had spent the last several hours searching for Shinji and Mari to no avail, because they had snuck off the base the previous day. Section 2 had lost sight of them shortly thereafter with the evacuation order being issued, giving them the order to recall to base and get ready for an incursion. Now, all of the pilots were missing adding to the mystery of Rei entering the base but disappearing sometime after that, and Asuka not being seen in several days, Misato was worried that the Evangelions they had left would be pilotless whenever the current conflict came to a head.

But now wasn't a time to worry, because Misato had to help send someone off. So, she was walking to meet Maya and Kotomi at the launch pad on the surface. Kotomi, being assigned to the still crippled Unit–03 was being evacuated as non–essential personnel for her safety along with many of the others. Because she lacked a family, she was one of the first being shipped out. As Misato got to the surface, she looked on to see almost a dozen VTOLs parked with people being checked in and loaded on. Maya, Aoba, Hyuga, and Kotomi were standing some distance away chatting quietly. Misato walked over and tried putting on a smile.

"Hey guys." Misato said.

"Colonel." Hyuga replied. "Any luck?"

"No… they're all still missing." Misato said. "And there isn't much time left to find them before we go into full lockdown."

"I'm sure they'll turn up soon." Maya said.

"Yes, but everything's been somewhat shitty since that whole Kaworu fiasco." Aoba said. "Whatever he did, he did pretty well."

"What are you talking about?" Misato asked.

"Well, the kids started having issues only after he got here." Aoba explained. "And then it sort of snowballed straight to hell from there."

"You think it all had to do with him?" Misato asked.

"Well, didn't they tell you?" Aoba asked.

"No, they haven't really spoken to me much since…" Misato said.

"Hey, don't worry about it." Kotomi said. "They'll show up eventually."

"Why don't we go make some calls?" Hyuga suggested. "Right Aoba? Maybe we can find them, or at least help out."

"Yeah, we'll keep calling their phones till someone picks up." Aoba said. "So, Kotomi… be safe, huh?"

"Yeah, we'll see you soon enough." Hyuga said.

"Bye guys." Kotomi said. "And be careful."

"We're always careful." Hyuga joked. "It's not our fault the city's a hotbed for Angel attacks."

As the pair of them walked away, Misato shifted silently, rubbing her foot against the ground looking away from Kotomi and Maya as they embraced tightly.

"I'm gonna miss you…" Maya said.

"I know…" Kotomi said. "And I'm gonna be worried sick about you being stuck here."

"Well, I'm sorta stuck since Akagi went nuts and tried to kill Shinji and Mari." Maya said. "I wish I could go…"

"I tried to get you guys clear of this." Misato said nervously. "But Hyuga and Aoba refused to leave and the Commander said we can't go on without your input."

"He said that?" Maya asked.

"Yep, you were on the list of people not allowed to evacuate." Misato said.

"And Hyuga and Aoba were listed as non–essential?" Kotomi asked.

"They were listed in between." Misato said. "They could stay if they wanted or evac if they wanted, and they chose to stay."

"I… didn't think he thought that highly of me." Maya said.

"Well, the Commander isn't the warmest person, considering Shinji's upbringing." Misato quipped. "He doesn't make his opinions known… but he's wanted replace Akagi for a while, so this isn't a big surprise."

"Well, thanks, Mis… Colonel." Maya corrected herself.

"You can call me Misato, Maya." Misato said kindly. "We're friends now, aren't we? I mean, I introduced you to that nice girl who won't let go of you."

"Well, she's very cuddly." Kotomi joked. "And I'm not gonna see her for a few days."

"So, this is it… huh?" Maya asked. "They VTOLs leave in a few minutes…"

"It won't be so bad." Kotomi said. "I'll be safe in Tokyo–2 for the next few days, so don't worry about me… stay focused, ok?"

"Yeah, I will." Maya said. "And don't worry too much about me."

"I will, babe. There's no changing that." Kotomi said. "But uh… can you give me a minute with Misato?"

"Oh, sure." Maya said brightly. "Just try not to kiss her, ok?"

"I'm a one girl kind of girl, Maya." Kotomi said quietly. "Besides, her heart belongs to someone else…"

"Yeah…" Maya said as she and Kotomi stopped hugging. Maya smiled at Misato and took Kotomi's bag. "I'll get you checked in, yeah?"

"Thanks." Kotomi said as she smiled widely. "Your eth best."

"I know." Maya said as she walked away.

"So… I guess this is goodbye again…" Misato said as Kotomi walked up to her.

"Yeah… but this time I know we'll see each other again." Kotomi said. "And I have to thank you for introducing us… she's perfect."

"I'm just glad you're happy." Misato said.

"I'm glad you're happy too." Kotomi said. "That boyfriend of yours is a really great guy."

"Yeah, he was…" Misato said quietly.

"Anyway, I only a few minutes." Kotomi said. "So just promise me one thing. Keep Maya safe, ok? Just make sure she makes it out of whatever this is alive…"

"I'll do my best." Misato said. "I don't want to give you false hope… but it's the best I got."

"Thanks for being honest, Misato." Kotomi said as she hugged her. "I always loved that about you."

"Thanks…" Misato said. "But save tha loe for her… she deserves it."

"I will." Kotomi said as she saw Maya waiving to her hurry up. "Good luck, Misato, something tells me you'll need it."

"Yeah, if this is as bad as they think it's going to be, we're gonna need all the luck we can get." Misato quipped as they walked over to the VTOLs as they started their engines.

"Kotomi, you have to go now, they need to leave." Maya said as she handed Kotomi her bags. "I love you."

"I know." Kotomi said as she climbed aboard he only VTOL with its hatch still open. "I love you too."

As the hatch closed between them and the VTOLs lifted off, Misato and Maya waived until they were out of sight. When they turned to leave, Maya turned to Misato.

"So, Misato, are you ok?" Maya asked. "With… everything's that's happened…"

"You mean Kaji, right?" Misato asked.

"Yeah." Maya said.

"It'll all sink in eventually." Misato said. "I won't really feel it till all this is over, I need to… uh… stay focused."

"At least your head is in the right place." Maya said.

"You didn't tell Kotomi about Kaji, did you?" Misato asked.

"No I figured it would be best to leave it alone." Maya said. "I can tell her later… and she likes to worry too much, she'd be thinking about that the whole time…"

"Well, I know she still likes me, Maya." Misato said. "We never really… ended things."

"I know." Maya said. "We've talked about it."

"Seriously?" Misato asked.

"I wanted to make sure she was all mine." Maya said. "She loves me, but she'll always have a special place in her heart for her first girlfriend."

–––

Asuka had finally gotten to NERV after bidding her remaining friends goodbye. As she got inside, she saw a flurry of activity, with people packing up equipment and pulling out loads of heavy weapons, from smaller rifles, to large, heavy machine guns. She decide to head down towards the Command Center, because she wasn't quite sure where to go. She still thought Kaworu was there, and still thought she wasn't a pilot.

As she was walking around, she finally saw someone she knew and wanted to talk to, Mari. As Asuka approached her, she saw that her face was red and looked as though she'd been crying quite a lot.

"Hey, Mari, what's going on?" Asuka called out. "You look like an Evangelion just spit you out!" And with that, Mari turned and ran from her without so much as a word. "Weird… not even a sarcastic comment…" Asuka mused. "Wonder what's wrong with her…"

Asuka decided to wander around a bit instead of chasing after Mari, assuming she had her reasons to act like a nut job. Asuka was so lost in thought about Shinji that she didn't even know where she was going, but ended up very near the Command Center when she bumped into someone and almost knocked them over.

"Oh, sorry…" Asuka said.

"It's fine, Asuka." Maya replied. "I'll… oh my god, you're ok!"

"Of course I'm ok." Asuka said.

"But you've been missing for days!" Maya said. "You've had Misato worried sick! You should be ashamed of yourself!"

"I was upset with Shinji." Asuka said. "I didn't want to see him… so I left for a few days. I honestly didn't think Misato would notice… "

"Of course she noticed, she cares about you!" Maya said.

"Fine, but Shinji doesn't care…" Asuka said. "That jerk and his friend Kaworu…"

"Oh…" Maya said. "You don't know, do you?"

"About what?" Asuka asked.

"Kaworu…" Maya said.

"Don't say that asshole's name!" Asuka said angrily. "He took my Shinji from me!"

"Because he was an Angel, Asuka." Maya said.

"What was that?" Asuka asked. "Did you just say he was…"

"The Seventeenth Angel." Maya replied. "Shinji was the only pilot available… and he had to kill him…"

"Good riddance." Asuka said.

"Asuka, it wasn't like any of the other Angels." Maya said. "He took control of Unit–02 and tried to use it against Shinji. Then Shinji… he… he crushed Kaworu in Unit–01's hands. He squeezed him so hard his head popped off…"

"And Shinji… did all that?" Asuka said. "He… he actually killed Kaworu himself?"

"And he disabled Unit–02 without doing too much damage." Maya said. "Just two Prog Knife wounds."

"He did that for me?" Asuka asked.

"I think so." Maya said. "But he was crushed by what happened… he hasn't been the same… and then Dr. Akagi kidnapped him and Mari…"

"What else did I miss?" Asuka asked.

"That's it." Maya said. "Shinji's had it rough for a while… maybe if you two talked again…"

"Look, Maya… you're really nice, but I barely know you." Asuka said. "I barely take advice from my friends."

"Still, Asuka, Shinji's a really nice boy… maybe he'd feel better if you two were talking again." Maya said.

"Well, I am looking for him." Asuka said.

"So's everyone else." Maya said. "Shinji, Mari, and Rei are all missing. I'm just glad at least one of you got here before the lockdown."

"Well, Mari's here." Asuka replied. "She ran away as soon as I saw her."

"Well, that's two of the four…" Maya said. "Oh, I'm just so glad you're ok, Asuka."

"Why though?" Asuka asked. "I mean, I haven't exactly been nice to you guys…"

"Asuka, you've had a rough life and you have a horrible, stressful job." Maya said. "I don't think anyone could come out of that with a positive attitude."

"I don't like using it as an excuse though." Asuka said. "Shinji's fine, and he's had it just as bad as me…"

"But he has a horrible temper." Maya said. "Especially when someone he cares about is in trouble… you two aren't really that different."

"Yeah we are… I'm not that brave… or as committed as him." Asuka said. "That's why I love him…"

"Maybe you should go tell him that." Maya said. "I'm sure he'll show up soon enough."

"Yeah…" Asuka muttered. "Goodbye then."

"Good luck." Maya said.

"You too." Asuka replied as they parted ways.

Asuka walked around and tried to think of where to go next, but bumped into someone else before she could make up her mind. She didn't acknowledge him at first, but when he said hello, she didn't really have a choice but to respond.

"Hello, Ms. Soryu." Fuyutsuki said. "I'm glad to see you made it here alright."

"Uh… thanks?" Asuka said, feeling very confused as to why he was even talking with her.

"Ms. Soryu… I know we've never spoken, but seeing as I ran into you like this, I thought I should take the opportunity to tell you something." Fuyutsuki explained.

"Ok…" Asuka said. "Why?"

"Well… in talking to Shinji about a few things, it seems only fair you know something about your mother."

"Did you know her?" Asuka asked.

"Yes… she was a student of mine in her time at Kyoto University." Fuyutsuki said. "You're a lot like your mother… kind and intelligent, and a strong willed personality."

"Thank you?" Asuka said in a confused tone.

"Ah, you're confused." Fuyutsuki said.

"Very." Asuka replied.

"Well, just think of it as an old man reminiscing for a moment about one of his three favorite students…"Fuyutsuki said. "Her and Yui were the best of friends…"

"Yui… Ikari?" Asuka asked.

"Yes, they were very close." Fuyutsuki said. "Not as close as you and Shinji, but close enough."

"Huh…" Asuka said. "It's kinda fuzzy, but I remember."

"Good." Fuyutsuki said. "I'm sorry to have bothered you though… good luck, Ms. Soryu."

"Uh, sir, if you… if you really knew my momma, you can call me Asuka." Asuka replied.

"Thank you Ms.… Asuka." Fuyutsuki said. "And if you see Shinji, tell him I'm sorry for upsetting him."

"I'll do that." Asuka said as Fuyutsuki walked away.

Asuka was confused, and walked away a little quicker than usual. 'He taught my momma…' Asuka thought as she looked around and decided to head towards Misato's office, hoping she'd be in there. 'He actually knew her… and said I'm a lot like her…' As she went towards the elevator, she heard it ding, and the doors opened to reveal none other than Misato.

"Asuka!" Misato cried as she sprinted towards her and enveloped her in a bear hug. "I can't believe you're here!"

"Can't… br… breathe…" Asuka muttered.

Misato loosened her grip, but didn't let go. "Sorry, Asuka, I'm just glad you're ok."

"I can tell." Asuka said. "I'm sorry I made you worry…"

"Asuka, its fine, at least you're alive…" Misato said.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Asuka asked. "Did you think I was suicidal?"

"I just didn't know Asuka…" Misato said. "I've lost enough people this week… I just wasn't sure if you'd be one of them."

"One of them?" Asuka asked.

"Oh… you don't know…" Misato said.

"Don't know what?" Asuka asked.

"Kaji… Kaji's dead." Misato said. "He's… he's gone, Asuka."

"No." Asuka said. "He's not gone, you're just fucking with me."

"I'm not Asuka… he… he left a message, he basically told Shinji he wasn't coming back." Misato said. "He's… he's really gone…"

Asuka stared at Misato in a stunned silence while vigorously shaking her head. "No, it's not true… it can't be true."

"It is, Asuka, I'm sorry." Misato said. "I know you two were close."

"I… I didn't get to say goodbye." Asuka said. "I… I didn't get to tell him…"

"Asuka, don't think about that now." Misato said.

"No, I… I have to find Shinji." Asuka said. "I… I can't let the last time I talked to him be the last… I need to fix things."

"Asuka, I don't know where Shinji is." Misato said.

"He's probably at the apartment." Asuka said. "Go get him."

"Asuka, even if he's there, he's not in the best place right now." Misato said. "Between Kaworu being an Angel and that shit with Ritsuko…"

"I know all that." Asuka said. "Maya told me. Just go find him… I need to tell him how much I love him… I… I don't want it to be too late…"

Misato was unsure of how to respond, but didn't want to hurt Asuka's feelings. "Ok, Asuka, you stay here, and I'll go see if he's at home, maybe Mari's with him."

"No, she's here." Asuka said. "I saw her, but then she ran away."

"Well, that Rei, Mari, and you…" Misato muttered. "I just hope Shinji's home… then you'll all be safe."

"If we're all so safe here, why is the city being evacuated?" Asuka asked.

"I don't know, Asuka." Misato replied. "But we'll find out soon enough, I think."

–––

Shinji was lying on the couch, staring at the ceiling once again. He hadn't slept at all, and his heart was still pounding hard against his chest. He kept thinking about Mari, how he'd made her cry and how she'd run off into the night. He still hated her, and he wasn't sure if he could ever trust her again.

'Why did she have to lie?' Shinji thought. 'She could have trusted me… she made me trust her… and I told her everything… and she didn't trust me at all… was she ever really my friend?' Shinji sighed. 'I really hate this… between her and Kaworu, how will I ever be able to trust anyone ever again?' Shinji adjusted himself on the couch to try and get more comfortable. 'And why am I the one that has to be everyone's pawn? My father, Kaworu… even Mari… why do people always have to use me like I'm not worth anything more?'

Shinji heard the door close, and looked up to see an extremely stressed looking Misato run into the room.

"Shinji, we need to go." Misato said.

"Why?" Shinji asked. "I don't want to go anywhere anymore… just leave me alone…"

"Shinji, we don't have time for you to hate yourself!" Misato shouted. "An evacuation order has gone into effect, we need to leave now!"

"To go where?" Shinji asked. "NERV?"

"Yes, NERV." Misato said. "You're on standby for a pending attack."

"What the point?" Shinji asked. "We're all gonna die anyway… what can I do all on my own?"

"Yeah, well, you ran off with Mari just fine yesterday." Misato said. "They lost track of her yesterday, but she's at least at the base."

"Good for her." Shinji replied nonchalantly. "Not that I care, anyway…"

SLAP

"Shinji, what the fuck is wrong with you?" Misato asked while Shinji rubbed his face. "What made you stop caring about everyone you used to care for so deeply? Why are you acting so careless?"

"I don't know." Shinji said. "Maybe I'm tired of having to be the one to save everyone from all the evil in the world!"

"Shinji, it's because you're one of the only people that can!" Misato said. "You're important, you're strong, and despite everything, you always want to do the right thing, even if you get hurt!"

"Misato, I want to believe you, but I've been lied to so much, I just don't care anymore…" Shinji replied.

"Shinji, I know you seem not to care about yourself, but do you really want to leave Mari, or Rei, or Asuka all alone to fight whatever's coming?"

"I thought Asuka wasn't a pilot anymore." Shinji said. "Why would she have to fight?"

"Without Kaworu, and with Rei and apparently Mari now missing somewhere in NERV, it's you and her." Misato said. "I know you two had a fight… but maybe it would be better if you were there for her when whatever happens, happens. But right now, she's all alone and just wants to see you. She misses you."

"No she doesn't…" Shinji muttered. "She fucking hates me."

"No, she doesn't." Misato replied. "She heard about Kaworu… and about Kaji. She just wants… to tell you she still loves you."

"Seriously?" Shinji asked.

"Yes." Misato said. "So, will you come with me now so you'll be safe?"

"Yeah… when whatever happens…" Shinji muttered. "Fine… I'll go… for Asuka… she's the only one left apparently…"

"Huh?" Misato asked. "What about your other friends from school? Toji and Hikari, and the other one…"

"Kensuke." Shinji said. "We had a fight too… everything's just so complicated."

"Shinji, your friends are only in town until tonight." Misato said.

"Because…" Shinji asked.

"Didn't you hear me when I said there's an evacuation order in effect?" Misato asked. "Everyone in this city, save for essential NERV personnel are being moved out by tomorrow morning."

"So…" Shinji asked.

"Do you want to see your other friends, or not?" Misato asked.

"Yeah…" Shinji muttered. "Just… just in case it's the last time…"

"They're leaving from South Metro Station in a few hours." Misato said. "I'll drive you if you want to go, but you need to go pack now so we can leave."

"Fine…" Shinji muttered as he shuffled off to his room. He grabbed a backpack, and took some clothes out of his closet. He then rummaged around inside, moving past the cello and some of his clothes and found something hidden under all of his stuff, a letter his mother sent him that Fuyutsuki had apparently made sure was sent on.

"I guess I should take this." Shinji said. "I should probably read it if what he said is gonna happen… especially if there won't be a 2019…" Shinji sighed. "I can't die not knowing…"

Misato stuck her head in Shinji's room and startled him. "Hey, are you almost ready, Shinji?"

"Yeah…" Shinji said.

"Well, let's go." Misato replied with Pen–Pen under her arm. "Sooner we leave, the better chance you have of seeing everyone before they leave."

"Right." Shinji replied as he zipped his backpack and looked around his room one more time. "Alright… let's go."

–––

Mari was wandering aimlessly around NERV. She kept getting bumped into by all the people rushing around her, trying to accomplish whatever mundane task they'd been assigned. As she was walking around, she saw Asuka at the other end of the corridor. As soon as Asuka called out to her, Mari turned tail and bolted in the other direction as fast as she could go, not wanting to go near anyone again. Once she made it to an elevator and slammed a button on the panel to get it moving and the doors were safely closed, Mari slumped down onto the floor.

"She knows…" Mari muttered to herself. "I bet she hates me too… everyone will know by now that I'm not who I said I was… " Mari began crying again. "If everyone hates me… then there isn't anything left to live for anymore…"

When the elevator finally stopped, Mari found herself with only one option to end the pain. She wandered out of the elevator in a stupor and walked towards the Evangelion Cages. As she got close to the, she found the hallways entirely deserted. When she slipped inside through an unmonitored door, they were even emptier than usual, with only minimal lighting illuminating just the Evangelions and not the entire space. She walked towards Unit–01, and looked down over the catwalk into the darkness below.

"This is it…" Mari muttered. "Once more into the abyss…" Mari looked up at Unit–01 and over to Unit–02 standing beside it. "Goodbye Kyoko… goodbye Yui…" Mari murmured. "I'll see you again soon… once this is all over… I just can't handle it anymore… I really just want the pain to end… my parents… my memories of Lilith… finding out what happened to you guys… Shinji hating me… it's just too much sadness and despair for one mind to remember… so if I go back into the abyss, I won't have to remember anymore… it'll be over once and for all…"

Mari peered over the edge one more time and took a deep breath before closing her eyes and letting herself fall down into the darkness. Mari felt the air rush past her on the way down, but heard metal creak and then she stopped falling. She opened her eyes to see something she didn't expect. Unit–01's left hand holding her from underneath, while the Evangelion appeared to be confused as it looked at her. Mari opened her mouth to speak, but before she cold, she saw a bright flash of light and stood in front of someone she hadn't seen in a very long time.

"Yui…" Mari mumbled.

" _Hello, Mari._ " Yui replied. " _What was that back there?_ "

"I was ending the pain." Mari said.

" _Why?_ " Yui asked.

"Shinji knows about me…" Mari muttered. "Fuyutsuki told him, and Shinji hates me for lying to him."

" _He can't hate you, Mari._ " Yui said. " _He's mixing his feelings about that horrid Angel boy with his feelings towards you. He'll figure it out soon enough._ "

"But…" Mari began.

" _Death is not the answer Mari._ " Yui said. " _You escaped hell and came back to finally get to live your life, don't waste it because Shinji is upset._ "

"But he hates my guts." Mari said. "He said horrible things…"

" _And you tried to hurt him when he defended Kaworu, and he forgave you for that._ " Yui said. " _Right?_ "

"Yeah…" Mari muttered.

" _Look, Mari, things are going to start moving fast, so you need to protect those two… they need you, and you know in your heart, just like Shinji dos, that you care for them deeply._ " Yui explained as she moved closer to Mari. " _Once this battle is over, you have to go to him and tell him I said he's being foolish to give up on the best friend a person could have…_ "

"Do you really mean that?" Mari asked.

" _Of course I do, Mari._ " Yui said. " _I didn't see it at the time, but I'm glad Shinji's benefitted so much from your friendship._ "

"He has?" Mari asked.

" _I saw the change the day he fought the rampaging robot._ " Yui said. " _He'd just met you, but he was happier… calmer… and it's all because of you. So don't give up hope, ok, Mari? It will all get better soon enough._ "

"Yui… I… I don't know what to say." Mari said.

" _Stop thinking about the past, Mari._ " Yui said. " _Just focus on the present and find a way to help them out, ok? I know you can do it._ "

"Ok. I'll try my best." Mari replied. "It was… nice to see you again."

" _I'm glad you're happy._ " Yui said as she hugged Mari tightly. " _I always like seeing you happy, Mari._ " Yui looked kindly at Mari before leaning in closer and letting her lips meets Mari's before there was another flash of light and Mari was back on Unit–01's outstretched hand feeling warm and confused.

"Yui…" Mari muttered as she looked at Unit–01's glowing yellow eyes. "Thank you… and I won't let you down, I'll keep them both safe."  
–––

Misato pulled up to the train station and saw a load of people mulling about outside. She put the car in park and sighed as Shinji looked out the window trying to stop his friends amongst the crowd.

"Wow, way busier than I thought." Misato said.

"I'm going to get out and look for them, ok?" Shinji asked.

"Yeah go." Misato said. "I'll be right here when you're done, ok?"

Shinji got out of the car and heard it lock as he walked away, looking for signs of his friends, hoping to see them one last time before what Shinji viewed as the end of life as he knew it. He bumped into people constantly, listening carefully for their voices as he looked around, when he finally heard Toji's voice a short distance away. He pushed his way through the crowd and found the four of them huddled together waiting for their turn to get on the train. Toji saw him first and his jaw dropped.

"Well, son of a bitch…" Toji muttered. "Where the hell have you been?"

"Uh…" Shinji stammered.

"Shinji!" Hikari said. "What, what are you doing here?"

"I just wanted to say goodbye." Shinji said. "And to say that I'm sorry for all the shitty things I said… you were right about Kaworu, he wasn't a nice guy at all… he wasn't really even a person."

"What are you talking about?" Toji asked.

"He was an Angel." Shinji said as he explained everything that happened that Christmas, and how Kaworu ended up having to be killed by Shinji himself. He then profusely apologized for ten minutes, saying he'd been an idiot, only to be reassured that he'd been manipulated, at that he wasn't really at fault. Still, everyone was shocked at the revelation.

"Holy shit…" Kensuke muttered. "That's awful."

"I can't believe you felt him get crushed." Sakura said.

"Shinji, are you ok?" Hikari asked.

"I will be, once I see Asuka and maybe fix things…" Shinji said. "Or at least apologize."

"Shinji, she still loves you." Toji said. "We saw her earlier today, she'll be fucking thrilled to see you, dude."

"And you guys can be a couple again!" Sakura said excitedly.

"Yeah…" Shinji said quietly as the intercom dinged. "That would be nice."

" _This is the first boarding call of the 9:00 PM evacuation train to Tokyo–2._ " The message said. " _At this time, we ask that all persons boarding these trains to enter the station in an orderly fashion. I repeat, this is the first boarding call for the 9:00 PM evacuation train to Tokyo–2…_ "

"That's us." Kensuke said.

"Can we wait a minute?" Sakura said. "I want to say goodbye properly."

"Just for a minute sis." Toji said. "We don't want to be late."

"I know." Sakura said as she hugged Shinji tightly. "Bye, Shinji, be careful."

"I'll try." Shinji said.

"It was nice seeing you again." Kensuke said. "Just try not to wreck you EVA."

"I won't." Shinji replied. "But it's unavoidable with big fights."

"And make sure you keep everyone safe." Toji said. "Otherwise I'll have to kick your ass, big hero or not."

"And make sure you tell Asuka you're really sorry." Hikari said. "Ok?"

"I will, Hikari." Shinji replied. "I missed her a lot more than I thought I would…"

"That means you can't live without her, buddy." Toji said. "Just like I'd die if I was separated from this great sexy girl over here."

"Oh, stop it you big softy." Hikari said.

"Come on guys, we have to go." Kensuke said.

"Bye guys…" Shinji said. "And be careful."

"Shinji, we're not the ones that need to watch our bacs." Toji said as the four them walked towards he crowded stations doors. "That's you. And good luck with whatever's coming."

"Thanks." Shinji said as he waived to them one last time before turning to leave and meet Misato at the car. "Something tells me I'm gonna need it."

–––

When the four of them were finally checked in, there was a bit of a problem. Because they were last to get inside from talking with Shinji, there were only two spots left on each train. This led to an interesting dilemma the kids had to solve quickly, because the trains were leaving very soon.

"Ok, so what do we do?" Toji asked.

"Go with Hikari." Sakura said. "You two can spend some time together as a couple."

"Are you sure?" Toji asked. "You'll be stuck with super nerd over there."

"Toji, don't call him that…" Hikari said exasperatedly.

"He's fine." Sakura said. "You do know we're friends, right? He visited me in the hospital almost as much as you did."

"I know, sis, I know." Toji said. "Alright, have fun or whatever. And Kensuke, make sure no tries and get all touchy with her, ok?"

"I'll make sure buddy." Kensuke said as they split up. "See you in a few hours."

"Bye guys, have fun." Hikari said as her and Toji boarded the train.

"We'll probably just end up sleeping." Sakura said as she and Kensuke boarded their own train. The two of them found the open pair of seats at the back of train, isolated form everyone else. The train doors closed and the train lurched forward as it slowly picked up speed and began speeding through the countryside towards Tokyo–2.

"Why do you always have to be so coy?" Kensuke asked.

"Because it's fun, Kensuke." Sakura said.

"You always get so close to telling him." Kensuke said worriedly. "It freaks me out when you do that."

"Kensuke, just relax, Toji's too thick to figure it out." Sakura said as she cuddled up against him.

"Well if he does find out we're dating, he'll fucking murder me." Kensuke said.

"Kenny–kun…" Sakura said as she looked up at him. "Do you actually think I'd let that happen?"

"No…" Kensuke muttered.

"Then relax." Sakura said brightly as she kissed him softly on the lips. "Let's just enjoy the free time we have together, ok?"

"I know." Kensuke said. "I'm just still surprised you asked me out."

"Why are you still shocked?" Sakura asked. "You're a great guy, Kensuke, I'm not the only one that sees it."

"You're the only one that says it though…" Kensuke muttered.

"Because I love you, Kenny–kun." Sakura said. "And you deserve to be told how great you are all the time, even if you are a bit of a pervert, but you're my pervert."

"Look, I said I was sorry about all that." Kensuke said. "Since Hikari yelled at me… I haven't done it since."

"I believe you, and I'm really glad you told me." Sakura said. "But, you still have to take some pictures of me… that way you have them to look at when were not together."

"Are you sure?" Kensuke asked.

"Like I said, I love you." Sakura said. "And you're my pervert"

"I…" Kensuke started.

"I know you love me too… you don't have to say it." Sakura said. "Don't say it if you're not ready, Kenny–kun. I can wait till you're ready."

* * *

December 30, 2016 – NERV HQ, Living Quarters

Shinji was sitting very quietly in the room Misato had gotten for him. He was looking silently at the envelope he'd grabbed from his room and the attached postcard he'd received with it from his mother. The postcard featured a cute blue haired angel hugging a heart, which Shinji ironically thought looked a lot lie Rei, with the name  _Yui Ikari_  stamped at the top. He read it again just to see if what he was about to do was the right thing to do.

" _September 15, 2004_

_My wonderful Shinji,_

_I always knew you could be impatient like your father which is why I put my letter inside another envelope. I know if you're reading this note that means I am gone, and the letter was given to you to hold until you're old enough to understand its contents. I'm sorry I can't be with you anymore, but sometimes things happen that we have no control over. I just hope you understand that if I could be with you, I would be._

_I wish I could tell you that everything will be ok, but I can't lie to you sweetheart, with me gone, your father will be devastated, and he may not want to keep you around as a reminder of what he had with me. I know this is hard to understand, but your father is a very special man, he has a lot of feelings that people have ignored, so when he's sad he acts out. Just remember not to hate him, he doesn't deserve that. Just be the good boy you are and listen to whatever he tells you._

_And finally, Shinji, I want you to know this, my sweet loving boy, that no matter where I am, no matter what has happened to me, I will always love you, and I will always be watching over you with all of my heart and soul._

_Love always,_

_Mommy_ "

"I have to open the letter, mother." Shinji said. "We've talked before, but you never really told me what's in here, have you?" Shinji sighed as he gripped the envelope tightly in his hand. "Fuyutsuki told me so much… and now I just want to see if it's really true…"

With a bit of hesitation, Shinji ripped open the envelope and pulled out what was inside. There was an old picture of a man that looked an awful lot like Shinji, who had a goofy smile. He was standing next to a large combat fighter, loaded with various weapons on its underbody. He flipped the picture over to see two sets of handwriting, one was his mother's and the other Shinji didn't recognize. He read the older, faded writing first. " _My new F–15J, how do I look next to her? I'm thinking of nicknaming her 'Yui' in honor of my favorite sister._ " Then Shinji read his mother's writing. " _Shinji, February 1996 – showing off as usual_."

"Shinji…?" Shinji muttered. "Is that my uncle? Like Fuyutsuki said?"

Shinji then saw another picture, one with three girls standing in a lab, with an older gentleman siting off to the side. He recognized three of the four. His mother was on the left, standing closest to a young looking Fuyutsuki, with Mari standing between his mother and the other girl, who Shinji assumed was Asuka's mother. Mai didn't look much different, maybe a few years younger, like she'd been frozen in time. He flipped the picture over to see his mother had written on that one too. " _Fuyutsuki, me, Mari, and Kyoko – Kyoto University, June 1997._ "

Shinji put that picture down in shock. "So… Mari wasn't lying…" Shinji muttered as he picked up the letter and unfolded it carefully.

" _September 15, 2004_

_My dearest Shinji,_

_I know that if you are reading this, I have been gone for a very long time. Perhaps we've been talked since then, or perhaps the threat I feared was coming never came to pass. But I have my experiment today, the same kind of experiment that cost me a friend back in 1998. She was one of the nicest people I've ever known, and she didn't deserve what happened to her. I know it's dangerous to attempt something similar, but there is no way around it, I have t do this to ensure the safety of the planet. If I become one with the Evangelion, something I hope you never have to pilot, then maybe I can do some good in the world and stop an evil plan from going forward._

_Second Impact happened, and you know that. But what you don't know is that it was orchestrated by a secret organization known only as SEELE. Your father has been working with them a very long time, trying to stop whatever machinations they've had about something called instrumentality. I don't know much about it, but what I do know is that they intend to try and becomes gods or some other crazy thing. The point is, with me inside my Evangelion, it means only you can pilot it, and that means that I'm putting you in an awful position. If whatever happens comes to pass that means the fate of the world will be in your hands._

_Now Shinji, I need you to promise me that you'll remember the promise you made to me by Lake Ashinoko, the one where you promised that whatever happens to you, and no matter how bad things may seem, that you will always protect the happiness of the people in this world. If you're ever caught in a place where you have to decide the fate of humanity, just remember that promise and protect the world._

_I'm sure this doesn't make a lot of sense sweetheart, and if you don't understand it, then you should seek out your godfather, Kozo Fuyutsuki. He can tell you everything you need to know. Trust him and what he tells you, I've trusted him for a very long time, and there isn't anyone more trustworthy than him that I know._

_Good luck sweetheart…_

_With Love, Always,_

_Mommy_

_P.S. I enclosed a few things you might like to see that I wish I could have shown you, but never had the chance to._ "

Shinji stared at the letter in disbelief, not sur what to make of what he'd just read. "It was all true… every last bit of it… "

–––

Rei was sitting quietly in her little corner of the Evangelion Graveyard. She was eating some of the rations she had brought for herself as she heard the sounds of movement all around her, echoing throughout the chamber. All the sounds of the bustling activity above and around her.

"So much activity." Rei muttered. "All the little pawns running around, not knowing what's coming…" Rei leaned back. "I won't be doing anything to help… only if onii–chan needs me. And he will be fine on his own, he is stronger than I could ever be…" Rei sighed "He's shown me that the circumstances of one's birth are irrelevant. It is what you do with the gift of life that determines who you are." Rei said quietly. "And I hope to be able to tell him that soon… once this is all over."

–––

It had been several hours since Shinji had read the letter. He still couldn't believe that his mother knew what could happen, and chose to be in Unit–01 rather than stay with him. He just didn't understand why she shouldn't have found another way. However, a frantic knock on his door broke him away from his thoughts. He got up and answered and was faced with the one person he was afraid, yet relieved to see. Before Shinji could say anything, Asuka wrapped her arms around him and gave him a very warm hug.

"I'm sorry, Shinji." Asuka said. "I'm sorry you had to kill Kaworu… I should have been there to spare you the pain…"

"How…?" Shinji asked.

"Misato and Maya told me." Asuka said. "And Misato told me about Kaji…"

"Oh, Asuka…" Shinji said consolingly. "Are you… ok?"

"No…" Asuka said.

"Are you still mad at me?" Shinji asked.

"No…" Asuka said as she squeezed him tighter. "I… I didn't want things to continue to be shitty between us… just in case… I mean… I may have overreacted a bit…"

"No, I was the idiot, Asuka." Shinji replied.

"Well, you're an idiot, but your my baka." Asuka said.

"Asuka the last time we…" Shinji said.

"Shinji, don't say anything about that." Asuka said. "Kaji… him being dead… it made me realize that I don't want to have the last thing I said to you be the last thing I said to you. I love you, and I want to be with you."

"You mean?" Shinji asked.

"I want to be with you tonight." Asuka said. "Once and for all. I want to show you how much I love you…" Asuka leaned in and kissed Shinji softly on the lips, slowly slipping her tongue into his mouth to dance with his. She ended the kiss and saw Shinji's flushed face and he look of shock that he had. She then stated kissing his neck gently as she felt Shinji shudder at her touch.

"Shinji, did you bring any protection?" Asuka asked, as she stopped kissing Shinji's neck.

"Huh? What protection?" Shinji asked, confused as to what she meant. "What would we need protection for? What's even going on?"

"Dummkopf!" Asuka slapped him playfully on the ass. "What are you, stupid or something? You can't have sex without protection, what would happen if I got pregnant!"

"I don't know Asuka, no one's ever talked to me about this before." Shinji said quietly. "And do you really… I mean… with me?"

"That's no excuse, you should just know!" Asuka said angrily as she grabbed a condom out of her pocket. "You should always be prepared, baka, for when the mood strikes."

"Asuka, how do I prepare for something I didn't know or ever thought was going to happen?" Shinji whined, rubbing his ass. "I mean… I thought you hated me till a few minutes ago… and then… sex?"

"Shut up, baka! Don't ruin the mood with your complaining." Asuka said as she kissed him tenderly. "I just want to enjoy this… with you."

"Do you mean what I think you mean?" Shinji said, turning a bright shade of red.

"Mien Gott! You are denser than Osmium." Asuka said sarcastically. "Well, I guess, I'll have to show you what I mean then." Asuka took off her shirt to reveal her bare chest. "Is this direct enough for you, baka?"

Shinji stood there stunned. "A… A… Asuka?!" Shinji stuttered. "Wha… what… are you doing?" Shinji's mind was racing. 'Am I dreaming, or is this actually happening again?' Shinji thought.

'Jesus Christ in Heaven, he is  _that_  dense.' Asuka thought. "I want to have sex… with you. Or am I not being clear enough, baka?"

"I… I get it, but… I'm just surprised." Shinji stammered. "I never thought… I mean that you're…"

"Shinji…" Asuka said quietly. "Just breathe… I love you, you don't have to be nervous."

"No… I… it's just… I'm a little… hold on a second…" Shinji rummaged in his bag and removed the disc Mari had given him the other day. He gripped it tightly for a minute before thinking about what Mari had said. She may have lied about who she was, but she always cared about him and Asuka. "I want… to… uh… play this." Shinji stammered.

"Shinji, is my nudity making you nervous? You've seen Mari and Rei naked, and yet you get nervous around me." Asuka said coyly. "Go ahead, put your song in. I don't want you to be unable to perform…"

"What?! I know that… but I… I love you Asuka… I… I don't want to disappoint you…" Shinji shuttered. "But I'll… um… uh… erm… music…" He muttered as he put the disc in.

"Silly, Shinji, I'm going to have to put the condom on for you, aren't I." Asuka said as she crossed the room and kissed Shinji passionately on the lips as the music started to play.

**_You don't have to move  
_ ** **_You don't have to speak  
_ ** ****_Lips for biting_

**_You're staring me down  
_ ** **_A glance makes me weak  
_ ** **_Eyes for striking  
_ ** **_Now I'm twisted up  
_ ** **_When I'm twisted with you  
_ ** ****_Brush so lightly_

**_And time trickles down  
_ ** **_And I'm breathing for two  
_ ** ****_Squeeze so tightly_

**_I'll be fine, you'll be fine  
_ ** **_This moment seems so long  
_ ** **_Don't waste now, precious time  
_ ** ****_We'll dance inside the song_

**_What makes me want to shake you down?  
_ ** **_Each touch belongs to each new sound  
_ ** **_Say now you want to shake me too  
_ ** ****_Move down to me, slip into you_

**_She sinks in my mind  
_ ** **_As she sheds through her skin  
_ ** ****_Touch sight taste like fire_

**_Hands do now  
_ ** **_What eyes no longer defend  
_ ** ****_Hands to fuel desire_

**_I'll be fine, you'll be fine  
_ ** **_This moment seems so long  
_ ** **_Don't waste now, precious time  
_ ** ****_We'll dance inside the song_

**_What makes me want to shake you down?  
_ ** **_Each touch belongs to each new sound  
_ ** **_Say now you want to shake me too  
_ ** ****_Move down to me, slip into you_

**_Ooo, ah Ooo, ah  
_ ** **_Ooo, ah Ooo, ah_ **

**_Ooo, ah Ooo, ah  
_ ** **_Ooo, ah Ooo, ah_ **

**_And I'll be fine, you'll be fine  
_ ** **_Is this fine? I'm not fine  
_ ** **_Give me pieces  
_ ** ****_Give me things to stay awake_

**_What makes me want to shake you down?  
_ ** **_Each touch belongs to each new sound  
_ ** **_Say now you want to shake me too  
_ ** ****_Move down to me, slip into you_

**_What makes me want to shake you down?  
_ ** **_Each touch belongs to each new sound  
_ ** **_Say now you want to shake me too  
_ ** ****_Move down to me, slip into you_

**_Move down to me, slip into you_ **

Both still breathing heavily, Shinji held Asuka tightly in his arms. "I'm sorry Asuka, I didn't mean to hurt you."

"It's ok, Shinji, it's supposed to hurt the first time." Asuka replied as she wrapped her arms around him. "Besides, the pain was worth it to be so close to you." She nuzzled his neck. "You know, I want to tell you something important."

"What do you want to say, Asuka?" Shinji asked, kissing her softly on the cheek.

"I want to say that I… that I… that I love you!" Asuka exclaimed. "I've wanted this for so long… since we started dating… I was just afraid…"

"I love you too Asuka." Shinji said. "And I've wanted this too, I was just too afraid you'd reject me to say anything. Or call me an idiot or a pervert or something…"

"Hmph. I kinda figured that, pervert." Asuka said. "And I know I act like a prude, but… I'm really not… I just don't like… people knowing… what I like… and I… I… I didn't want to die a virgin and you shouldn't either…"

"Wha…?" Shinji said.

"I didn't want to go into some fight we may all die in tomorrow without… without being with you." Asuka said, blushing slightly. "I wouldn't have known what to do if I lost you. I'd probably kill myself if you died… I've lost so much, and I can't… I won't lose you…"

"Asuka…" Shinji said. "I wouldn't know what to do if I lost you, either." Shinji held Asuka tightly. "But I can promise you one thing, I won't let anything happen to you tomorrow… I'll be there to protect you no matter what…"

* * *

December 31, 2016 – NERV HQ, Living Quarters

'Oh my god, what have I done…' Shinji thought to himself.

Shinji awoke to the sleeping Asuka next to him. He looked at her sullenly and got up as quietly as possible. He gathered his scattered clothes and hurriedly yet quietly put them on.

'I should never have ever done this…' Shinji thought. 'It was a mistake… we rushed into things… I'm sorry Asuka… I can't stay here… I have to break my promise… I have to leave…' A tear rolled down his face. 'I really don't deserve you after what I've done… you can do far better than me… I didn't trust you enough to believe you… and you came here, and I took advantage of that because I wanted you… you said Kaji's death made you think about this… and I should have said no… I should have been able to say no, tell you that we'll survive whatever's coming and that our first time can be on our terms… not just… because we were afraid to die alone…'

Shinji looked back and looked at her one more time. "Goodbye, Asuka." Shinji said quietly as he left her there all alone. "I guess I'll see you on the other side… that is if you still want to talk to me after this… I hope one day you can understand…"

To Be Continued

* * *

A/N: I do not own Evangelion or any of the characters, GAINAX and the other distributors of NGE related material do. I am simply using them as a backdrop for my fanfic.

As for the songs used in this chapter, I don't own them either, and they're listed below in order of appearance:  
The All–American Rejects –  _Dance Inside_  (2005)

Sync Score Rankings!  
Shinji – 92.5% (No Change)  
Mari – 22.5% (No Change)  
Rei – 20.0% (No Change)  
Asuka – 12.5% (No Change)

Now before anyone gets upset about Kensuke and Sakura, the birthdates I wrote out in my storyboard are as follows and can be found in my fic's thread over on the evageeks forums.  
– Kensuke Aida – September 12, 2001  
– Sakura Suzuhara – April 2, 2003  
See, they're only 18 months apart, so it's not too big of an age gap like it would be in the actual show where he's 14 and she's like 6 or 8. This is partly why I made her older, because Kensuke deserves a nice girl, and Sakura fits the bill.

Now on to the meat of the story. Mari tries to kill herself, seeing no way back not Shinji's friendship, and Yui does Yui and saves her. Their talks brings Mari back from the brink, but she still has some stuff to figure out in her head.

As for Asuka and Shinji, well, things go back on track after Shinji gets a slap from Misato and finally reads the letter his mother left him which corroborated what Fuyutsuki had already told him. In short, Shinji is jolted back to reality knowing what his mother did was to set him up to save the world and protect humanity, something he doesn't think he should be doing. Asuka, after finding out a bunch of stuff herself, is now faced with her mortality and realizes, if they die, she wants Shinji to know how much she truly loves him.

Shinji on the other hand, realizes in the morning that it was a mistake, because he doesn't deserve Asuka, because he didn't believe her. This is my replacement of the hospital scene in EoE. It's even more fucked up because he left her alone like an asshole, but at least this was consensual between the two of them before he fled like a dumbass.

Finally, we are at the half way point in this story. So, just a note. The following six chapters will be shorter than usual, but the story will progress quickly over the next few weeks. So stay tuned, because it's the final countdown to third Impact and Shinji's final decision.

As I said before, and will always say at the end of chapter, please leave comments, as I would like to try to improve the story going forward any way I can. And, hell, constructive criticism is a good thing.

* * *

つづく


	7. Battle Stations

Neon Genesis Evangelion: Legacy  
Episode VI: Return of Reality

* * *

Chapter 7 – Battle Stations  
December 31, 2016 – NERV HQ, Living Quarters

Asuka woke up and felt cold. She didn't feel Shinji's warmth beside her, just a cool spot where he had been the previous night. She rolled over and looked around his room, looking to see if he was in the bathroom, but she didn't see him.

"Shinji?" Asuka called out. "Where are you?"

Asuka didn't hear a response and sat up in the bed, letting the sheet that was covering her fall to her lap. "I'm ready to try again, if you want to, baka." Asuka called out and started to get nervous. "Baka, I was only kidding about you hurting me… it felt good having you inside of me, didn't you enjoy it?"

Asuka rolled out of bed and looked around. 'Where the hell is he?' Asuka thought. 'He couldn't have left me here… he promised… he promised to stay…'

Asuka walked expectantly into the bathroom, hoping Shinji was there and saw that he wasn't there. She looked around the small quarters, and even looked under the bed to see if he was playing a cruel joke on her.

"Why… why isn't he here?" Asuka asked herself as she sat on the bed and began crying. "He said he loved me… " Asuka sobbed. "He… he's supposed to love me, but he used me and left…" Asuka held herself tightly. "Was I… as I not good enough? Did I do something wrong…? Why doesn't Shinji love me… why would he abandon me… don't I deserve to be loved? My momma abandoned me… then my boyfriend… it's like I don't deserve to be loved… like I'm not worth anything to anyone…"

–––

In the Command Center, everyone was waiting for the inevitable, the coming attack. Gendo had received word that several large transport planes had launched early the previous day from Germany, headed on a direct course to Tokyo–3. The lockdown had been enacted the previous evening and the AIS was deployed and waiting for an enemy to fire at, whether it be human or Angel.

In the meantime, the skeleton crew in the Command Center consisted of Gendo and Fuyutsuki in their usual place high above anyone else, Misato, Maya, Hyuga, and Aoba on the main level and about two dozen armed security guard near the entrances, just in case anyone tried to storm the area.

"So, we're just waiting now?" Aoba asked. "For what?"

"A mass attack by the JSSDF and U.N. forces." Fuyutsuki explained. "They want to shut us down and take the Evangelions and their pilots. We cannot let that happen under any circumstances."

"But… humans?" Hyuga asked. "We're going to have to kill humans?"

"To keep those kids safe, we'll do just about anything." Maya said. "What would the U.N. want with them, though?"

"To run tests and figure out how to make more Evangelions." Fuyutsuki said. "At least that's what intelligence has told us."

"So they want to experiment on them?" Aoba asked.

"Doesn't sound much different than what we were doing though." Maya said.

"Well, under Dr. Akagi it was more akin to torture." Hyuga quipped.

"Speaking of, where are all the pilots?" Misato asked.

"Mari was spotted yesterday by Asuka as being on base. We have no current information on her whereabouts. Asuka is still in Shinji's room as far we can tell, but Shinji left several hours ago in the middle of the night and hasn't been seen since." Maya explained.

"And Rei?" Gendo asked.

"Rei swiped onto base several days ago and hasn't been sighted at all." Maya replied.

"So, when things go south, we won't have any pilots ready to go…" Misato muttered. "Just perfect…"

"Is the defensive perimeter secure?" Gendo asked.

"As far as we can tell." Aoba replied. "External security feeds are active, we have every proximity sensor set to the highest sensitivity, and every security team has been strategically deployed inside the base. We have the city in battle formation and the AIS is armed and ready for action."

"And the internal defensive systems?" Gendo asked.

"Armed to bare." Hyuga replied. "Anyone that isn't recognized will be shot on sight."

"Good." Gendo replied.

"It looks like we're ready." Misato said.

"But for what?" Maya asked.

"An invasion." Gendo replied.

All of a sudden, alarms began going off all over the place. The proximity sensors detected an approaching force aircraft and ground vehicles outside the city limits. The aircraft were still over two hours away, but the vehicles were fast approaching.

"Commander, we've got hostiles inbound." Hyuga said. "ETA is three minutes on the ground forces, heavy air forces are at least an hour away, attack helicopters and light fighters are fifteen minutes out."

"Bring internal defenses online." Gendo ordered. "Contact all defensive positions and inform them the attack is imminent. Have the incoming air forces set as hostile units and shoot them as soon as they are within range."

"Already done, sir." Hyuga replied.

"Lieutenant Colonel, I'll leave this in your hands." Gendo said as he left. "I have some more pressing matters to attend to." Gendo lowered his voice. "Fuyutsuki, I suggest you find a safer place to stay."

"I intend to see this out while you search for your son." Fuyutsuki replied quietly.

"Very well." Gendo said as he left.

Fuyutsuki looked down and saw Misato beginning to pace. "Colonel, perhaps it would be best do protect the pilot we have left."

"Right…" Misato said. "We need to get Asuka to Unit–02. She'll be safer in there if the defense perimeter is breached."

"Why?" Aoba asked.

"You said planes are inbound, which means there will be bombing." Misato explained. "And we may need her to fight."

"But what if she can't sync?" Maya asked. "Her score was pretty low the last time she was tested."

"Deploy her to the Geofront Lake, it'll keep her safe and out of sight." Misato said. "Do you have her yet?"

"A recovery team just got her from Shinji's room." Maya said sullenly. "She's… uh…"

"Just spit it out, Maya." Misato replied. "What's wrong with her? She was fine yesterday…"

"She was naked and curled up in the fetal position on the floor." Maya said. "She just keeps repeating "why did he leave me all alone" and other than that, she's totally unresponsive."

"Wait, you found her in Shinji's room with no Shinji?" Misato asked. "Naked?"

"Yeah…" Maya said.

"What the fuck did Shinji do now…" Misato said. "I have to find him…"

"Colonel, there's a lot of a situation going on here." Hyuga muttered. "You can't just leave…"

"Look, Hyuga we have three missing kids, and if Shinji's being himself, he needs to be dragged to safety." Misato said. "Sub–Commander, permission to go search for Shinji."

"Granted, Colonel." Fuyutsuki said. "I will take over the situation here. Be wary, Colonel, the perimeter will most likely be breached."

Misato pulled out her gun out as she left the room. "I intend to be careful sir."

"Sir, the JSSDF has made contact and blown through the outer perimeter." Aoba reported. "They're currently trying to breach the employee entrances on the south side."

"Put all guards on alert." Fuyutsuki said. "Divert response forces to the east and north sides."

"But they're attacking the south." Aoba said.

"How large is the force?" Fuyutsuki asked.

"About a hundred." Hyuga said. "Judging by the amount of vehicles."

"And there were far more vehicles than that, correct?" Fuyutsuki asked.

"Significantly more." Aoba replied.

"So, they're trying to divert us." Fuyutsuki said. "It's the art of war."

"Sending the troops to the other entrance points now." Aoba said.

"What about the west entrances or the central entrance?" Hyuga asked.

"Those are covered by the automatic defensive weapons." Maya replied. "And the smaller entrances are locked down."

"So, we should be fine then." Aoba said.

"No, but we can at least make them fight for every inch of space they take from us." Fuyutsuki said. "Lieutenant Ibuki, can you put me on the intercom."

"Ready sir." Maya replied.

"To all personnel, this is Sub–Commander Fuyutsuki." Fuyutsuki said. "The attack by the JSSDF has begun. They are currently trying to breach our inner perimeter, so I will make this message short. Expect no mercy to be given, the soldiers have shoot on sight orders for anyone they come across and I am clarifying that under Commander Ikari's directive, everyone is to shoot to kill all invading enemy combatants with no exceptions. If you see one of the pilots, get them to safety, they are the prime targets and will either be captured or shot on sight by the JSDDF. Good luck, and stay vigilant." Fuyutsuki made a motion to cut the transmission.

"You're off, sir." Maya replied.

"So now what?" Aoba asked.

"Call in the rest of our security forces and seal this room." Fuyutsuki said. "This room cannot be breached." Fuyutsuki sighed. "Has Asuka been launched yet?"

"They were able to get her into a plugsuit and into Unit–02." Maya explained.

"Bring Unit–02 online and get it launched." Fuyutsuki said. "What's her sync score?"

"Her sync score is 5.2%" Maya said. "She can't move the EVA at all."

"Deploy to the Geofront Lake as Colonel Katsuragi suggested." Fuyutsuki said. "If she can't move, they at least can't reach her from there."

"Understood, Sub–Commander." Maya said. "Unit–02 launching in sixty seconds."  
–––

Mari woke up late that morning. After speaking with Yui after almost killing herself, she decided to hide in a break room and get some sleep on the dusty floor. She woke up to the sounds of the alarms going off indicating they were under attack and of Fuyutsuki's voice giving a dire warning, and then she heard the sounds of gunfire from all around her.

"What the fuck is going on?" Mari muttered. "Angels don't use guns… he wasn't kidding… humans really are trying to kill us…"

Mari saw a dozen armed security guards rush by where she was, armed to the teeth. "I should probably go somewhere else…" Mari muttered. "The hospital should be safe… right? No one attacks a hospital… right?"

Mari snuck out into the hallway and ran towards the elevators, finding them to be locked down. "Motherfucker…" Mari muttered as she angrily kicked the door. "How am I supposed to get there now, walk?!"

Mari looked around for an access ladder and began climbing down towards the hospital's connection corridor. "Why do things have to be this way anyway? Why does this have to be happening? Why can't whoever this is leave us the hell alone…"

Mari heard a large explosion above her, which shook the shaft she was in and sent some debris down past her. "Son of a bitch! What the fuck is going on? They're really trying to kill us!"

Mari found where she could get off and cracked the hatch open to see men running around shooting at each other with assault rifles. There was blood all over the walls and serval dead bodies of both NERV and JSSDF personnel lying motionless on the ground. Mari closed the hatch up tight as she saw a grenade get thrown towards her and locked it just in time to hear the explosion on the other side.

"Well, I'm not going to the hospital…" Mari muttered. "Maybe I should go find my Evangelion. I know that thing's all but indestructible. Hell, it took an Angel to almost kill me and destroy it, definitely safer than going anywhere else in this hell hole. But first, I should probably get a plugsuit on… in case I need to launch or something."

Mari began climbing down the ladder slowly, listening for signs of fighting from outside each access hatch she passed. When she reached the level she was pretty sure the locker rooms are on, she heard even more serious gun fighting from the hallway and decided to stay where she was.

"No need to get shot trying to get to a barely functioning Evangelion… unless… I steal Unit–02. But Asuka may kill me if I do that…"

–––

Shinji was still wandering around NERV. After having left Asuka that morning, Shinji was beginning to question his decision. "Maybe I was wrong to leave Asuka like that…" Shinji muttered. "I might not deserve her… but she deserves better than that… right? She must hate me by now if she's even up yet… I have to go back and apologize… what happens if we die, what happens if the last thing she remembers is that I left her…" Shinji shuttered. "I… I need to find her…"

But as he started to head back towards his room, the alarms went off. He heard Fuyutsuki's announcement and realized what was happening, instrumentality was right around the corner.

"So, everything was definitely true… they're here to try and end the world…" Shinji said. "Which… which means that I'm gonna have to pilot again… and I don't want to. Every time I pilot the EVA, something bad happens. And this time… if I pilot I could end the world… what kind of responsibility is that for a kid? I don't want to have to protect the world, the world sucks, and I don't want to be the one responsible for ending it…" Shinji sighed deeply. "I can't go find Asuka now… I need to go find somewhere to hide… especially if they're going to try and kill me…"

Shinji rounded a corner and found himself in a stairwell. There were doors on both ends, but there was space under the stairs where he could hide, in the darkness, and out of site. "I just have to wait till this is all over, and then I can go back to the way things were… I just don't want the responsibility of having to protect the world anymore… I just want to be a normal kid… is that too much to ask…"

–––

Gendo was walking around NERV, looking for two people he needed. His plans, while so close to fruition, were now missing the two keys he needed most Shinji to pilot Unit–01 and Rei to merge with Lilith. He clenched his right hand several times as he was walking around the battle scarred hallways.

"Why would Rei do this to me?" Gendo muttered to himself. "She knows she's important, why is she hiding? I need her to bring Yui back… I need her and Shinji to bring Yui back… after all these years… I simply can't wait any longer. Shinji will be easy to find, and Rei will remember her duty… she'll be naturally drawn to it when its time…" Gendo sighed. "But Shinji will avoid it, he doesn't like responsibility… and he doesn't like to get involved… but I can convince him if I promise Yui will come back… he'll finally have his mother, and more importantly… I'll have my wife…"

–––

Back in the Command Center, things were getting pretty bad. All the entrances had been overrun, but the invaders were having trouble getting anywhere very fast. Between the self–defense weaponry installed everywhere, the heavily armed defenders, and the Bakelite flooding, the invasion was partially stalled. While the invaders had taken several corridors, they did not have a strong foothold and were having trouble getting to the main areas that needed to be captured, mainly the Command Center and the Evangelion Cages.

"Defense Squad 3 is in trouble, Sub–Commander!" Aoba reported. "They're being overrun at the inner defensive perimeter."

"Send Squads 10, 11, and 14 to reinforce them!" Fuyutsuki ordered. "If we lose that, they'll be on our doorstep within minutes!"

"The teams are moving as fast as they can, but Squad 3 can't hold out too much longer!" Aoba said. "We're about to lose it!"

"We're also having trouble on the western side, sir!" Hyuga reported. "Some of the defensive weapons are running low on ammunition. Without backup, the position will be totally overrun"

"Send Squad 8 and 15 to rereinforce that point." Fuyutsuki ordered.

"Sir, if we do that, we won't have any backup anywhere else." Maya said frantically.

"I am aware of that Lieutenant, but I'd like to hold off on calling back or forces until we absolutely can't hold them back any longer." Fuyutsuki said. "If we can hold them off a few minutes longer, we can solidify our positon." Fuyutsuki sighed. "Do we have any of the other pilots yet?"

"They are all still MIA, sir." Maya said. "But we have a new problem now. They're trying to hack the MAGI."

"How?" Fuyutsuki asked.

"Using all the other MAGI systems to eat away at our firewall and shut us down." Maya said. "We have maybe twenty minutes before the MAGI are offline."

"Is there anything you can do?" Fuyutsuki asked.

"Short of getting Dr. Akagi from the dungeon, there is a program she was setting up to block things like this from happening again after the Angel had infiltrated the system."

"How long to get it online?" Fuyutsuki asked.

"I'll need a few minutes sir." Maya said. "She had the Code 777 program completed, I just need to access it and bring it online."

"Do it." Fuyutsuki ordered.

"Consider it done, sir." Maya replied. "Just keep the enemy out until I can get it done."

"Sir, this seems like a distraction." Hyuga said.

"No, it's not." Fuyutsuki replied. "They want access to our security lockdown so they can override it and make their job easier, and the MAGI are the only way to do that. They can shut all our defenses down. Unless we can stop them, we'll all be dead within the hour."

"I'm working on it sir." Maya replied. "I just need more time…"

"I'll cut the power for 15 seconds." Hyuga said. "It'll reset the communications lines and force them to reestablish contact."

"Will that work, Lieutenant Ibuki?" Fuyutsuki asked.

"It should." Maya said. "We won't know till we've tried."

"Do it." Fuyutsuki ordered. "And let's hope it works in our favor."

–––

Keel Lorenz was sitting angrily in his office in Berlin. He was watching a live feed that was tapped into the JSSDF soldiers that were currently assaulting the Geofront. Keel saw that more defensive weapons had been installed than previously estimated, and he was also watching the hacking of the MAGI unfold rather successfully until the system went dark and gave a triple digit lockout code "777". Lorenz slammed his intercom and called two people angrily into his office, Oscar and Wilhelm Langley.

"What is going on?!" Keel demanded. "You said everything with their budget was unable to have defensive weaponry on this scale!"

"Cousin, I did the calculations myself." Oscar said defensively. "They didn't have the money for this at all, everything in their budget…"

"You trusted Ikari's budget?!" Keel roared. "Idiot boy nothing that man says is true! And you! You said the MAGI could be overpowered by all the other MAGI working in tandem!"

"They should be able to overpower it." Dr. Langley replied. "We have the numerical superiority, and the original MAGI System is no different than any of the others. It should have fallen by now."

"None of this is happening the way it should!" Keel shouted. "We have no other choice but to go in directly with our final solution!"

"Lorenz, it's far too soon to send them in." Dr. Langley said. "We aren't even sure if they can fight."

"Are you hesitating because your granddaughter is out there?!" Keel shouted.

"No, she will be collateral damage, and I was never particularly fond of her." Dr. Langley replied. "It would be better if she were imply gone."

"And you, do you care if I give the order to breach Tokyo–3?" Keel asked as he rounded on Oscar.

"I could care less if that little cunt died." Oscar said. "I would be better off completely forgetting her and her whore of a mother."

"Then I'll inform the Prime Minister of what he has to do." Keel said. "This ends now."

–––

The Prime Minister of Japan was sitting calmly in his office. As of the last report he received, the hack of the MAGI had failed, however, all NERV personnel had been called back to defend a smaller perimeter. As he was waiting for a further update from his commanders on the ground, he received another phone call.

"Hello." The Prime Minister said.

" _Execute the final breach protocol._ " The voice said on the other side of phone.

"But the battle is nearly won." The Prime Minister replied. "And I would like to take that city away from Ikari and use it as my new capital."

" _Those plans will have to wait._ " The voice said. " _Just do as you're told, and you will be compensated as promised._ "

"It will be done." The Prime Minister replied as he hung up. He then picked up a red phone and called the forward command post.

" _Prime Minister, this is General Hitsugaya._ " General Hitsugaya answered.

"General, send in the heavy bombers, then send in all the reserve forces." The Prime Minister said. "I have new intelligence informing us they have a cache of N2 weaponry that was not disclosed. They need to be put down with extreme prejudice."

" _Sir, with all due respect, we are winning the fight._ " General Hitsugaya replied. " _I see no need to do more damage than need be done._ "

"This isn't a conversation, general!" The Prime Minister replied angrily. "Carry out your orders, or I will relieve you of command and find someone who will carry out the orders they are given."

" _Understood, sir._ " General Hitsugaya replied. " _I will give the order._ "

"Very well…" The Prime Minister said as he hung up the phone. "And may Izanagi forgive us all…"

–––

Back in the Command Center, thigs were getting very ugly. The defenders were losing ground, as more reinforcement troops arrived, even after the attrition made with the AIS enough new troops landed to give a clear numerical advantage to the JSSDF and U.N. combined forces.

"Sub–Commander, we're being completely overrun!" Hyuga shouted. "We've got maybe half of our security forces left! There are just too many of them!"

"Recall everyone to defend Central Dogma and the Evangelions Cages." Fuyutsuki ordered. "Nothing else is of consequence. Lieutenant Ibuki, are the MAGI secured?"

"The 777 lockout protocol is holding, sir." Maya replied. "It should be fine for several days before the other MAGI can find a way around it."

"Good." Fuyutsuki said. "One less problem to worry about."

"Sir, one more problem!" Aoba reported. "The heavy bombers we've been tracking the past few hours are changing course! They are taking up a wide formation and heading straight for us."

"What kind of bombers, Lieutenant…" Fuyutsuki asked.

"They're squawking as Seraphim Squadron, sir."

"My god…" Fuyutsuki muttered. "They're going to breach the city…"

"As in?" Maya asked.

"They're gonna nuke Tokyo–3 out of existence…" Fuyutsuki replied.

–––

A large mass of bombers was slowly approaching Tokyo–3. Their bomb bays were filled with one massive N2 bomb a piece. A new design meant to be used against the Angels that had even more destructive power than the previous models, and there were 75 of them heading straight for the unsuspecting city. As they got closer, they encountered some resistance from the AIS, which began to fire rapidly towards them, but the planes stayed defiantly on course.

"This is Seraphim Leader to Seraphim Squadron." Seraphim Leader said solemnly. "We have been given the order to breach Tokyo–3 with our N2 payloads. Take up our attack positions and watch out for that weapons fire. We've got no escorts, so we're on our own."

As the planes approached their final position, their bomb bay doors opened up, revealing the massive N2 stored within. The 75 bombs dropped towards the city with amazing grace and serenity until they hit their detonation altitude in tandem. All 75 N2 bombs went off at once, creating a massive white fireball on the surface that engulfed anything and everything within the city limits.

As for the Geofront, there was a bright glow on the rim of the cityscape held high above them, and then the blast finally vaporized all 25 armor belts and ripped into the now unprotected Geofront below. The fireball expanded to its proper size and decimated the vegetation in the Geofront. The edge of the blast ripped the top of NERV's pyramid of, and damaged a great deal more of it, leaving it heavily damaged wreck. As the fireball dissipated and the steam from all the vaporized material faded away, there was nothing left of Tokyo–3 save for the gaping hole where it once proudly stood.

–––

Inside the Command Center, the lights were flickering on and off, and everything was shaking so violently, everyone was knocked out of their chairs onto the floor. The holographic main screen kept cutting in and out, and the sounds of the explosion could be heard echoing throughout the Geofront and NERV HQ like some sort of sickening alarm bell. When the sound stopped and the lights came back on, many of the camera feeds that were being monitored were either completely cut off or were giving blurred videos.

"Status report." Fuyutsuki said weakly as he dragged himself off the floor.

"The city is totally gone." Hyuga reported. "All but a few of our AIS batteries are still up there, let alone functional."

"The sensors are still fuzzy, but I think there is another inbound force of attack craft." Aoba reported. "Best estimate is five minutes from contact."

"Reports are coming from the defense teams, the JSSDF are consolidating their forces in preparation for another attack." Maya reported. "Unit–02 is still in Geofront Lake, but it won't be safe for long. Unit–01 and Unit–XP are still secure in the Evangelion Cages"

"They must be awaiting reinforcements." Fuyutsuki said. "How much of the base do they have control of?"

"All of the A–Level structures and levels B–1 through B–5." Maya replied. "They have a much larger attack force, we won't last long."

"We'll give it our all." Fuyutsuki said. "Otherwise we don't have a chance in hell."

–––

Gendo was still walking around, trying to find Shinji. He was in yet another bloodstained hallway, with bodies lying all over the place. Gendo stepped over them without a second look. As he was looking around, he heard one of the heavy hatchways open and quickly turned around to see Mari crawling out from the emergency ladder access shaft. When she saw him, her eyes went wide, and Gendo's narrowed. They glared at each other for a moment before Gendo walked towards her.

"Makinami…" Gendo muttered.

"Rokubungi…" Mari grumbled in reply. "What the hell was that noise?"

"The JSSDF most likely vaporizing the cityscape." Gendo replied coldly. "But what are you doing down here?" Gendo asked. "Shouldn't you be with Shinji?"

"Nope." Mari said. "Shinji hates me now because he found out who I am."

"I didn't think you'd be stupid enough to tell him." Gendo said coldly. "You must have known his reaction would be less than ideal."

"Well, he inherited that detestable trait from you." Mari grumbled. "And I didn't tell him… Fuyutsuki did."

"Fuyutsuki…?" Gendo said with a note of surprise.

"Is that surprise I hear, Rokubungi?" Mari asked. "Who knew it was possible."

"It happens on occasion." Gendo said. "I never thought Fuyutsuki would speak to him."

"Well, not everyone is your brand of asshole." Mari quipped. "Plus, after being kidnapped, people begin to reevaluate their priorities…"

"Still, what are you doing down here?" Gendo asked.

"Getting to a plugsuit." Mari replied. "So I can go help."

"There is little you can do." Gendo replied. "Unit–XP is barely functional."

"Can it hold its Gatling guns?" Mari asked.

"Yes, the arms have been repaired, but the legs still need…" Gendo began.

"Then it'll be fine." Mari said. "Shinji might hate me, but I won't leave him alone… I know what that's like, and something tells me even inside that thick head of yours, you know how shitty being alone is."

Gendo pulled out on of his pistols and pointed it directly at Mari. "Don't presume to understand my pain."

"What, you're gonna shoot me now?" Mari asked sarcastically. "Ritsuko wasn't enough of a freak with that shit already?" Mari smirked. "But wait… you can't shoot me, can you Rokubungi? Not if you ever want to look Yui in the face again. Not if you want her to ever speak to you again. Not if you want her to keep loving you… you ungrateful bastard…"

"You're not wrong. I never deserved her, but she loved me anyway. Even if she had feelings for you, Yui was the type of person who had enough love for two people… perhaps if things had worked out differently, you two would have ended up together… and perhaps I would have stayed with Kyoko…" Gendo said as he flipped the gun in his hand and held onto the barrel, the handle pointed towards Mari. "But we'll never know, will we, Mari? Perhaps you need this more than I do." Gendo stretched out his arm towards Mari. "Go ahead, take it."

Mari reached out and took the gun cautiously from him. "Uh… thanks?"

"Get your plugsuit and get to Unit–XP." Gendo said. "Perhaps we still have a chance if you're involved…"

"A chance with what?" Mari asked.

"Defending ourselves against a new breed of Evangelion." Gendo replied. "Go to Isolation Cage 4, your EVA is in there along with its weapons."

"How do I launch?" Mari asked. "I don't exactly have the authority…"

"Manual override code Omega–15." Gendo said. "It will give you control of the system."

"Thank you…" Mari said as she turned to leave.

"Don't thank me." Gendo said. "It makes me uncomfortable."

"Man, you are more fucked up then anyone knows, aren't you?" Mari asked.

"Ever since Yui." Gendo said. "I haven't been alright since Yui was taken from me."

"At least you had her." Mari said. "You were lucky enough to have her."

"She changed when you died." Gendo said. "She was heartbroken when she heard about your death… she still loved me, but a little less than before."

"That's a surprise…" Mari muttered.

"Just be sure not to die." Gendo said. "If we ever get Yui back, she'll be unhappy I didn't stop your death the second time around."

"I'll do it as a favor for her, not for you." Mari said. "Out of love."

"With her it's always out of love." Gendo replied as the two parted ways.

–––

Shinji was in a panic after the explosion. He could feel the floor around him still reverberating several minutes after the explosion.

'What the hell are they doing?!' Shinji thought frantically as he tried not to make a sound. 'Maybe I shouldn't be hiding from all this… the gunfire, the explosions, the enemy… a human enemy… if I stay here much longer… everyone will die… and I could have tried to stop it… Misato, Asuka, Rei, even Mari… none of them deserve to die because of my inaction.' Shinji heard footsteps approaching. 'But maybe I'm already out of time…'

"Well, well, well." A JSSDF Sergeant said. "What do we have here?"

"Looks like an Evangelion pilot, Sarge." A JSSDF Corporal replied. "All alone and without any weapons."

"Call it in them Corporal." The Sergeant replied. "Tell them we have located the Third Child and have him in our custody."

'So this is how I die…' Shinji thought as he blankly looked up at the soldiers.

"So, kid, you have two options." The Sergeant said. "Either come with us, or you end up like the rest of these NERV assholes out here."

"Go to hell." Shinji said. "I'd never help a bunch of murders like you."

"Well, it's your call kid." The Sergeant said. "Hope you're not leaving anyone behind…"

Shinji closed his eyes as he felt the solider put his gun to Shinji's forehead. Shinji heard him cock the trigger and waited for the end.

BANG

Shinji opened his eyes slowly, having not felt and pain and expected to see nothing, but was surprised at seeing the Sergeant dead on the floor. He looked around and saw his father standing in the doorway, gun in hand still smirking from the single round he fired. The Corporal was stunned momentarily before he remembered he had a rifle and turned it on Gendo. Gendo raised his right hand and Shinji saw an eye embedded in the palm. And orange octagonal field erupted from it as the Corporal opened fire, only for the rounds to bounce uselessly off of it.

"An… an A.T. Field?" Shinji said. "What the hell…"

Gendo fired two more rounds and the Corporal dropped where he stood. Gendo turned to Shinji and glared at him. "What are you doing here? You have a job to do, Shinji."

"What job?" Shinji asked.

"Piloting EVA." Gendo said. "You're shirking your responsibility."

"So what!" Shinji shouted. "It's too late to do anything now! I waited too long, and now everyone's probably already dead!"

"That is incorrect, Shinji." Gendo said. "No one you know has died. But if you wait any longer, that may no longer be the case. You'll end up just like me if you keep waiting, losing the light in your life like I did."

"What the hell are you talking about?!" Shinji said. "You never just talk to me! It's all riddles and shit! Just talk to me like a father would to his son!"

"What should I say?" Gendo said mockingly. "I believe in you? I love you? Is that what you mean? Unfortunately Shinji, I never loved you." Gendo grabbed Shinji by the collar and dragged him to his feet. "Ever since you were born, you took your mother's attention away from me, I envied you because of that, and despised you for it at the same time."

"What…?" Shinji muttered.

"Your mother's love took me out of the darkness that was my life… she saved me." Gendo explained. "And then, she was gone in an instant, and I cursed the SEELE for interfering in her experiment, and then I realized that I could do what they wished to do. I could make myself a god and bring her back, and make it so I never lost anyone again. It could be that way for you too, Shinji, everything in this world exists to be taken away, but you can stop that. The human race is meant to become extinct, and someone needs to lead it… I need to lead it. Go to Unit–01, go to your mother, and avenge the world so that nothing can be taken from us again."

"Why would I do that?" Shinji asked. "Why the hell would I help someone that never loved me!"

"Because I need you to, Shinji. Your mother needs you!" Gendo said. "You are the only one that can do what needs to be done!"

BANG

"Commander, step away from Shinji!" Misato shouted after her warning shot whizzed by Gendo's head. "Leave him alone and bac away slowly!"

"Or what, Colonel Katsuragi?" Gendo asked as he leveled his gun at Misato. "I can always finish the job that Second Impact failed to accomplish."

"Go ahead and try." Misato said.

"We found the source of the gunshots!" A soldier shouted as a group of them ran at them from both sides.

"Shinji, get down!" Misato cried as she shoved Shinji out of the way and shot at some of the approaching soldiers.

Gendo raised his hand and put up his A.T. Field, much to Misato's surprise. Gendo blocked the rounds from one side of the hallway and reflected the bullets back to them, cutting them to pieces as he did. While Misato emptied a clip into the soldiers approaching from the other side, scoring three headshots and four additional kills.

"That will undoubtedly draw more of them." Gendo said. "Shinji, we must go."

"He's not going anywhere with you, Commander." Misato replied. "I'm not letting him go off with a madman!"

"You cannot stop me." Gendo replied as he turned to Shinji. "Come with me Shinji." Gendo said as he raised his Adam hand towards Misato. "If you want to live and save your friends."

"Shinji, don't do it!" Misato said threateningly as Misato levered her gun on Gendo. "He just wants to use you! Come with me, Shinji, I'll get you out of here if you want to go."

Shinji looked between them and was completely unsure of what to do, of which path he should take. 'I can't believe this…' Shinji thought. 'What the hell am I going to do?'

To Be Continued

* * *

A/N: I do not own Evangelion or any of the characters, GAINAX and the other distributors of NGE related material do. I am simply using them as a backdrop for my fanfic.

Sync Score Rankings!  
Shinji – 92.5% (No Change)  
Mari – 22.5% (No Change)  
Rei – 20.0% (No Change)  
Asuka – 5.2% (-7.3%)

And that is the first part of this story arc's ending. I've been wanting to write this segment of the story forever, because I've had a lot of time to put into thinking about this ending the chapters may a lot shorter than usual (around 2,000 – 4,000 words), but there will be a lot packed into to those short lengths.

As for the chapter itself, can't really go into too much detail about anything specific for fear of giving away what happens next. However, where Mari ended up sleeping was near where the JSSDF were trying to break in through, so she heard the gunfire first. Shinji happened to be father away, and Rei is safely tucked away deep enough that no one will find her until she wants to be found.

As for the standoff, I did get that from the manga, but its conclusion will be vastly different and be the opening scene of the following chapter.

And a side note about the new squadron name. Seraphim are higher ranking angels known as "the burning ones" which have six wings (not unlike God/Burning Gundam), so it seemed only appropriate that a squadron of "angels" are the ones that dropped the N2 payload on the city and set it ablaze and proverbially open the gates to hell.

As I said before, and will always say at the end of chapter, please leave comments, as I would like to try to improve the story going forward any way I can. And, hell, constructive criticism is a good thing.

* * *

つづく


	8. Asuka Strikes

Neon Genesis Evangelion: Legacy  
Episode VI: Return of Reality

* * *

Chapter 8 – Asuka Strikes  
December 31, 2016 – Geofront Lake

Asuka was lying in her Entry Plug in the fetal position. She felt Unit–02 get shaken by the blasts from the massive N2 attack the JSSDF were perpetrating. Once the smoke and steam had cleared, hundreds if not thousands of cruise missile flew through the hole that had been made by the blast. The explosions leveled much of the Geofront's remaining structures and made the lake in the middle, with its lone, still surviving cruiser, quite muddied.

Asuka slowly started to wake up from the sedative she was given to get her in her plugsuit. She looked around and recognized where she was.

"Huh… an Entry Plug…" Asuka muttered. "Who would have guessed id end up in here again…" Asuka reached out her hand to one of the control yokes and moved it. "Figures… I can't even pilot this piece of shit anymore… so I guess I'll never be an EVA pilot again…"

As the JSSDF took over the cruiser in the lake, and moved their equipment into place, they found Unit–02 on the bottom of the lake and were either trying to destroy it, or to draw it out so they could capture it. Depth charges were fired in volleys of hundreds of rounds each, and as they found their target, they would explode with a powerful concussive force that shook Asuka deeply.

"No… Shinji's not here anymore… I'm all alone… no one's here to save me this time…" Asuka muttered worriedly. "I don't want to die… I don't want to die… I don't want to die… I don't want to die!" Asuka screamed. "Shinji come back! Someone help me! I don't want to, momma, Shinji, anyone, HELP ME!"

The repeated blasts of the depth charges continued to shake her deeply.

"Please, anyone, save me!" Asuka screamed as she curled up in her seat. "I can't do it alone! I was wrong to think that I could do this all alone!"

Several depth charges landed right on Unit–02 and exploded, and even with her low sync score, Asuka felt the explosions on her skin.

"Shinji! You promised to protect me! Why did you eave e Shinji!" Asuka screamed. "Momma, you promised to always be there!" Asuka began to sob. "Why did you both have to leave?! Why do I have to be alone?!"

"AAAAHHHHH!" Asuka screamed. "PLEASE!"

As another set of explosions went off around her, Asuka saw a bright flash of light and the noise and pain stopped. She stood up cautiously and looked around and saw nothing but white everywhere.

"What the fuck is this place?" Asuka muttered. "Am I dead?"

Asuka kept looking around a slender figure appeared in front of her, one that she instantly recognized, but couldn't believe existed.

"Momma…?" Asuka muttered. "Oh… no… I really am dead…"

–––

Shinji was still very confused as to what was going on. Misato and Gendo had guns pointed at each other. He kept looking between them, and he was afraid because they both had the most deadly stare a person could have. Shinji was especially surprised that easygoing, carefree Misato was even capable of looking like that.

"Mi… Misato?" Shinji asked nervously. "What's… what's wrong? Why are you here?"

"That is an excellent, Colonel." Gendo said. "Why are you here? You should be in charge of the defense of this base."

"I don't answer to you anymore, Commander." Misato retorted. "Shinji, I'm here to get you to safety. You can't go with him."

"Why not?" Gendo asked. "He is my son after all."

"The one you admitted never having loved." Misato said angrily. "At this point, he's more my child than yours."

"From the intelligence reports I've received, he's the adult in household." Gendo said. "You just sit around all day and drink."

"No she doesn't!" Shinji shouted. "At least she cares, unlike you!"

"Well, sir, I remember my father dying, and I remember Second Impact." Misato said. "Sometimes I want to forget." Misato glared at Gendo. "How do you deal with the guilt and all the blood on your hands? How do you sleep at night, Commander?"

"Quite well." Gendo replied snarkily.

"Misato, what's that supposed to mean?" Shinji asked.

"Yes, Commander, what does that mean?" Misato asked. "Are you going to tell him, or am I going to have to do it?"

"No, they are my deeds, I will disclose them." Gendo said as he lowered his weapon. "Where should I begin…"

"Try where you sabotaged my father's contact experiment to cause Second Impact." Misato said sarcastically. "Probably the only way to start."

"Very well…" Gendo said. "Shinji, do you know who SEELE is?"

"No." Shinji replied.

"Good." Gendo began. "Yes, I've been working with SEELE for a very long time. I had worked my way into their ranks before Second Impact, and I was instructed to help carry out the plan. By going through with Second Impact, I made them trust me. I let it happen, but I tampered with it only enough to cause the disaster, and only caused a fraction of the damage they wanted." Gendo explained. "If I had completely disabled every safety device Katsuragi put in place, more than 5.5 billion people would have been killed by a tidal wave five times larger than the one we actually experienced when Adam fully awakened, completely healed from his fight with Lilith during First Impact. I did what I could to reduce the loss of life as much as possible. I'm not ashamed of what I did because I saved more lives than were lost that day. The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few."

"You let it happen?" Shinji asked. "What gave you the right?!"

"I did when I wanted to stop their plans." Gendo replied. "I needed them to trust me so I could find our exactly what they were up to… and then they gave me command of what would eventually become NERV, and all the power that went along with it. I devised my own plan to usurp their instrumentality and stop them, but then they took your mother away, and I decided to take away their chance and take back what they took from me!"

"US!" Shinji shouted. "She was my mother too, remember?! I know you never loved me, but you can't be that dense!"

"Your feelings on the matter were inconsequential." Gendo said. "And when Fuyutsuki accidentally created Rei in an attempt to reconstitute your mother, she began another piece to help bring about instrumentality my way."

"He… right…" Shinji muttered. "But… what you're saying is just a bunch of excuses! How many people died in Second Impact?!"

"Two billion." Gendo replied.

"And you justify that because you wanted to find out what they were up to?!" Shinji shouted. "THERE HAD TO BE ANOTHER WAY!"

"You sound just like your mother when she found out." Gendo replied. "I think she stopped loving me that day…"

"Good." Shinji said. "You deserve to be alone with all the people you killed!"

"That may be so, but all I wanted to do was help." Gendo replied.

Shinji stared at his father in disbelief… hearing himself when his father spoke those words as Shinji had done so many times… Sakura getting hurt, Toji getting hurt, Asuka getting hurt, Rei dying… it had only wanted to help but made things worse. 'I'm nothing like him…' Shinji thought. 'Right…?'

"Adam wasn't fully healed…?" Misato asked. "But he was standing up when… when it happened…"

"No, quite the contrary." Gendo explained. "The Spear of Longinus is twofold. It was built by the race that Adam and Lilith descend from and is designed to kill, but if used properly can revive its victim. By causing Adam's S2 Engine to activate and overload, it began to heal him, but I set the spear to insert itself before he could fully heal, limiting his godly power."

"How did you know Adam would have godly power?" Shinji asked.

"As told in the Dead Sea Scrolls." Gendo replied. "The first two Angels were Seeds of Life, Adam, bearing the Fruit of Life, or immortality through the S2 Engine, and Lilith, bearing the Fruit of Knowledge, which gave us, her progeny, the ability to think and adapt, unlike the Angels, who can live forever, but are only capable of attack. The Seeds are capable of reshaping a world in their image, creating life, which requires godly power beyond what we know, but it was not absolute, limited only to making life and overwriting the life existing on a planet. However, unlimited power was possible if someone possessed both fruits. Their will could destroy anything they wanted, their resolve could create life. We call this power instrumentality, where the will of the user can shape the world the way they want it."

"Then what gives the Evangelion their power?" Misato asked. "How can Unit–01 be used for instrumentality?!"

"It is a clone of Lilith, with an S2 Engine." Gendo explained. "It's Core is also cloned from Lilith's, making it the perfect vessel, as are all the other Cores. Unit–03 and Unit–04 are not capable of this because they lack Lilith DNA, and the Core is not enough. Unit–00 also wasn't capable of this… but Unit–02 is different. Kyoko added in a hint of Lilith DNA when she created the template that no one noticed until after production began, so it's a mix, and would be capable of the same thing if given the opportunity and an S2 Engine."

"So Unit–01 right now is a…"

"God, yes." Gendo replied. "It can do anything its pilot will into existence, which Shinji has shown flashes of in the past few months."

"The wormholes you mean." Misato replied.

"Yes, that kind of power is what Shinji has at his disposal under his current circumstances." Gendo replied. "Now, multiply that power exponentially, and you'll be able to grasp what instrumentality can do!"

"I don't want to grasp it!" Shinji shouted. "And I'll tell you the same thing I told those soldiers, I don't want to help a murderer!"

"Choosing not to come with me also helps a group murderers." Gendo replied. "If you go with her, you'll be helping SEELE."

"No, I'm taking him away from here." Misato said. "I don't want him to have to do this. If he's not here, they can't start instrumentality… no one can."

"You're half right." Gendo said. "But without Shinji and Unit–01 here to defend us, we may not be able to start it, but SEELE will find a way. They found a way to trap Mari without my assistance, and they found a way to get a mole in to sabotage your mother and Asuka's mother's experiments… they have the resolve to do this."

"They trapped who?" Misato asked.

"Mari." Gendo replied. "The Mari that lives with you, Colonel."

"Huh…?" Misato asked.

"She was Professor Fuyutsuki's third student." Gendo said. "We scrubbed her from all the records, leaving nothing identifiable. A lot of her personal information was lost in Second Impact, considering she had no family, so when she came back, we made up some files to integrate her into the EVA Pilot Corps, with her monstrosity…"

"Wait… what?" Misato asked. "How could she have been his student?"

"She was trapped in Unit–XP's Core for just short of 18 years." Gendo said. "When she came back, it gave me hope Yui could be returned to me from Unit–01's Core."

"But… why did she lie?" Misato asked.

"To save her from Dr. Akagi's science, and to keep her from SEELE's grasp." Gendo explained. "Her importance had diminished over that time, and she wasn't well remembered, just another of the countless victims of SEELE's influence."

"Hang on, you're saying Shinji's mother is in Unit–01's Core?" Misato asked. "That's the secret?!"

"Of course." Gendo said. "The children's mothers are in all the Cores. Every eligible pilot's mother died and their soul… harvested… for our use."

"What the fuck…" Misato mumbled as they heard guards coming down the corridor.

"Hurry up and decide, Shinji." Gendo said. "We don't have much time before the JSSDF find us again."

–––

Asuka kept staring at her mother, in utter disbelief at what she was seeing. She looked exactly the same as the last time Asuka had been able to talk to her, the day before her accident.

"Momma…?" Asuka asked. "Is… is it really you?"

" _Yes, Asuka, it's really me._ " Kyoko replied. " _I'm so happy you can finally see me. Oh, sweetheart, I've missed you so much._ "

"Momma!" Asuka cried as she ran over to her mother and gave her a hug. "I've missed you so much too, momma." Asuka said tearfully. "I thought you were dead… but… you're here… I don't know how… but you're here." Asuka looked up at her mother. "How are you here, momma?"

" _It's because I've always been here, Asuka._ " Kyoko replied. " _I am Unit–02's Core._ "

"How… how is that possible, momma?" Asuka asked.

" _When my accident happened, I became trapped in here._ " Kyoko explained. " _My soul was ripped in half because someone tampered with the test, and I fought against what was happening and ended up leaving behind a woman with only half a soul and a broken mind… and I'm so sorry Asuka. I didn't want to leave you, but I ended up making things so much worse… I'm so sorry you ever had to see what happened to me. It wasn't fair to you at all, my darling, you deserved better than seeing that._ "

"I don't care about that anymore, momma. You said it wasn't you… it's not your fault…" Asuka replied. "I just want to stay here with you forever. I feel safe here… I feel wanted here. I like feeling wanted…"

" _But Asuka, you have to go back and fight, remember?_ " Kyoko said soothingly. " _You're the only one out there that can stop them._ "

"I know, but it won't work." Asuka replied sullenly. "Unit–02 won't move for me anymore. I'm a useless pilot…"

" _Asuka, it's because you've closed your heart._ " Kyoko said. " _If you don't open your heart, you can't sync to the EVA. You can't sync to me._ "

"I can't sync to you?" Asuka asked. "When I sync to the EVA, I sync to you?"

" _Yes, sweetheart._ " Kyoko said. " _Every sync test, I was there. I know you hated them so much, but I loved them. It was the only time I ever got to see you, and you've been so happy lately, I was surprised that you were closing yourself off._ "

"It's… I…" Asuka muttered. "It's because of Kaworu…"

" _It's not just that_." Kyoko said. " _It's your boyfriend too… isn't it._ "

"How… how did you know?" Asuka asked.

" _I could feel it after you two got together. I knew when your mind was ripped open by that Angel that you two truly loved each other._ "

"He left me alone, momma." Asuka moaned. "He abandoned me after I showed him how much I loved him… I was all alone, and he promised to protect me!"

" _Asuka Langley Soryu, sex is not how you show someone else you love them._ " Kyoko said admonishingly. " _You shouldn't have rushed things like that._ "

"Why not?" Asuka asked. "I… I didn't want to waste our last night together… what if we died? He'd never have known how much I truly loved him."

" _Asuka, did you ever stop to wonder if you were giving Shinji mixed signals?_ " Kyoko asked. " _The last time you two spoke, you'd broken up with him, and then you wanted to have sex with him? Asuka, for any boy that would be confusing, and he's so nice, he would never say no to you._ "

"But he wanted it too!" Asuka replied. "He wanted me just as much as I wanted him!"

" _Asuka, did you even ask him what had been going on with him before you jumped him?_ " Kyoko asked.

"No, I just wanted to be with him…" Asuka said. "It was really nice…"

" _I can tell by how much you're blushing how much you enjoyed it._ " Kyoko joked. " _And unfortunately you inherited my impulsive tendencies._ "

"I didn't think anything was wrong… I told him I knew everything." Asuka said. "I wanted it to make him feel better…"

" _But you didn't know everything, Asuka._ " Kyoko said.

"How do you know that, momma?" Asuka asked. "You're trapped in here."

" _I can still see and hear what Unit–02 can._ " Kyoko replied. " _You didn't know what happened between him and sweet little Mari._ "

"Huh?" Asuka asked.

" _Mari tried to kill herself the other day because Shinji stopped being her friend. He told her he hated her, and that he couldn't trust her anymore._ " Kyoko explained.

"How… why would Shinji do that?" Asuka asked in shock. "They're like best friends!"

" _Because, Shinji found out who she really was…_ " Kyoko said. " _And seeing as he knows, you should too._ "

"Knows what?" Asuka asked.

" _That Mari doesn't belong in your time._ " Kyoko explained. " _She belongs in mine._ "

"What…?" Asuka muttered. "Momma, are you ok?"

" _I'm fine, Asuka._ " Kyoko replied. " _I was Mari's friend when we were in college, the one I said who had died. She got absorbed in an experiment not unlike mine… and I guess she got spit out a few weeks before she met Shinji… and he didn't like being lied to, not again._ "

"So… he said he hated her?" Asuka asked.

" _That's what she was saying before she threw herself off the scaffolding near Unit–01._ " Kyoko said. " _But don't worry, Shinji's mom saved her._ "

"Who?" Asuka asked.

" _Shinji's mom, Yui. She's Unit–01's Core._ " Kyoko replied. " _Mari had a crush on her way back when, when we knew her. She loved Yui so much… she was really kinda of adorable…_ "

"So, it's true then?" Asuka asked. "Mari's… old?"

" _If she had never been absorbed, she would be a few years younger than me._ " Kyoko said sharply. " _But yes, she would be far older than she is. She's a brilliant girl, being in college at such a young age. She was your age when she got into college in a doctoral program no less… she was way smarter than me, just not as focused… she had this habit of humming or singing too… it was annoying at first, but it grew on me… she grew on me._ "

"Yeah, she grew on me too." Asuka replied. "I can't believe she never told us… I would've been so happy to hear stories about you…"

" _Asuka, I think she was afraid of the reaction._ " Kyoko said. " _Shinji's didn't go well, and I don't think you would have taken it that much better._ "

"I would have been shocked, but I wouldn't hate her…" Asuka said. "Oh… Shinji must have broken her heart…"

" _So much so she tried to kill herself._ " Kyoko repeated. " _He was hurting from Kaworu and took out all that anger about everything he did on her… he wasn't kind about it… and then you come back to him, Asuka, and then he got confused._ "

"How would you know?" Asuka asked.

" _Because Shinji is a sensitive boy, and if he hesitated even for a second that night, he probably thought he didn't deserve you._ " Kyoko explained. " _I felt his hesitation when he was in here with you, during that Angel's attack… he didn't think he deserved you. He probably still doesn't, and sex just complicates things, especially if you're too young…_ "

"But Mari…" Asuka started.

" _Is a virgin._ " Kyoko said. " _Last I knew, anyway, I don't think that's changed. She just watched a lot of porn. Boy did she have a huge stash of that back in the day. Me and Yui found it one night…_ " Kyoko paused. " _Sorry… got lost in thought…_ "

"It's ok, momma… you don't get to talk to anyone…" Asuka muttered. "So, Shinji still thinks he doesn't deserve me?"

" _Probably._ " Kyoko said. " _He's a very sensitive boy… so polite and kind, but he has a temper, but no one's perfect._ "

"He's only yelled at me once… and that was because of Kaworu…" Asuka said as she started thinking. "Any other time he yelled it was at someone else because we were in danger… he's rescued me so much… but he always does the fighting… he always gets hurt… maybe this time… I can show him I love him by making sure he doesn't fight… that he doesn't have to save me… that I can do this and… and win!"

" _That's the spirit, sweetheart._ " Kyoko said. " _I think you're ready to go back now._ "

"But I don't want to go…" Asuka moaned. "I… I don't want to lose you again!"

" _Asuka, you won't lose me._ " Kyoko said. " _As long as your heart is open, and as long as Unit–02 exists, I will be here by your side. It's time for you to go back and finish what those fools have started._ " Kyoko kissed Asuka's forehead. " _Viel Glück, sweetheart._ "

"Bye momma…" Asuka said as a bright light flashed around her.

–––

In the Command Center, things were becoming dire. The JSSDF had begun firing on the doors leading into the Command Center, and they were close to being breached. Everyone inside was getting ready, and preparing for the worst. In an effort to stay connected to things, Maya grabbed a laptop and ducked under her desk with a phone so she could continue monitoring the battle in the Geofront.

"Lieutenant Ibuki, final status check!" Fuyutsuki said. "I don't think we can afford one during a firefight."

"The Cage has fallen." Maya said. "And Unit–02 is still immobile, and being pelted with depth charges."

"Contact Colonel Katsuragi and inform her of the situation." Fuyutsuki replied. "Tell her to avoid the Cage at all costs."

"Understood, sir." Maya said as Hyuga handed her a gun. "I don't need this."

"Maya, you will." Hyuga said. "They aren't taking any prisoners, you need to be able to defend yourself."

"Fine, if it'll make you feel better…" Maya said uncomfortably as she put the gun to the side.

"Hey, how many clips do you have, Hyuga?" Aoba asked as he readied his P90.

"Fourteen plus one loaded into the gun." Hyuga replied. "And you?"

"Same." Aoba replied. "So this is the end then… this is how we're gonna die."

"No it's not." Hyuga replied. "Stop being so negative."

"What, we don't have much hope left…" Aoba retorted. "We're about to be shot by a bunch of people trained to kill us."

"Well, if it's the end, then this won't make much of a difference." Hyuga said as he leaned in and kissed Aoba deeply on the lips. Aoba raised his eyebrows and reciprocated, and as Maya turned to ask them a question, she saw them locked in a tight embrace, and her jaw dropped.

"What…?" Maya said louder than she'd meant to.

The pair broke apart and looked over to her and blushed. "What?" Hyuga asked.

"I mean… I'm a bit surprised." Maya said.

"Well, if we die, he knows how I feel." Hyuga said.

"It's a nice feeling to have." Aoba replied. "If we… uh… survive this, I don't mind tying this out."

"Good." Hyuga said. "Now do you have some hope?"

"Yep." Aoba replied.

"Well, there's some more hope for all of us." Maya quipped.

"What now?" Hyuga asked.

"Asuka's awake and her sync score just went past 95%." Maya said proudly.

–––

Asuka woke up, still feeling the phantom of her mother's presence in the Entry Plug with her. She sat up properly in her seat, and gripped the control yokes firmly. Asuka felt a surge of power as she got Unit–02 to its feet. Unit–02 leapt from the deep end to the shallows of the lake, bursting out of the water right under the cruiser that continued to drop depth charges in the water. Asuka looked around and saw a line of JSSDF artillery and missile launchers and smirked.

"So, you want to play do you?" Asuka asked a she saw the weapons target her. She watched the muzzles flash, and the missile fire towards when she dropped Unit–02 back in the water and waited as the weapons fire hit the other shore.

Unit–02 came back out of the water again, this time taking the cruiser with it. Lifting it from amidships, with little difficulty, Asuka raised it out of the water and aimed it at her attackers. "Here's Asuka!" Asuka shouted proudly as the tanks, artillery pieces, and missile batteries fired again. Asuka angled the cruiser to take the hits, and with it burning in Unit–02's hands she aimed it at their defensive line. "I got a special deliver y for you mother fuckers!" Asuka said proudly as Unit–02 leaned back. "YAAAAHHHHH!" Asuka screamed as she pitched the burning cruiser at the JSSDF, where it exploded on contact with their armor, and in the resulting chain reaction, wiped out everything they had assembled there.

"So much for superior firepower." Asuka quipped as another barrage of missiles screamed towards her. She effortlessly jumped up and dodged the explosion, twirling through the air while the power cable on her back flowed gracefully behind her. Unit–02 landed hard and faced head an alarm, indicating something else. Asuka looked to see what was coming and recognized the cruise missile streaking towards her. "Bring it on." Asuka said defiantly as the cruise missile appeared to hit Unit–02's face, only for its A.T. Field to deploy and stop the missile mere inches from Unit–02's face, its engines still firing, trying to move the dug in Unit–02.

"Can't touch this." Asuka said as three more contacts appeared moving towards her at high speed, and she saw they were cruise missiles as well. Asuka spread Unit–02's legs to better handle the stresses of being pushed and reached out both of Unit–02's arms and impaled a cruise missile on each, crumpling the warhead. Unit–02 struggled to stand with the power of three different cruise missiles trying to move and held strong as the fourth approached and detonated before touching the A.T. Field, taking the other three cruise missiles with it and engulfing Unit–02 and ball of fire. As the fire dissipated, Unit–02 walked out of it unscathed and Asuka was smiling widely. "Is that the best you can do?"

Just as Asuka made her joke, two hundred VTOLs loaded with ordinance flew right at her while a hundred tanks parachuted in from above. Asuka looked around and smiled. "Easy pickings…"

Asuka charged the VTOLs with an enraged vigor, tearing through two or three at a time with little effort. As the tanks dropped past her, Asuka grabbed a pair of them by the barrels and swung them around, smashing through VTOL's like wet toilet paper, and smashing into other tanks like sledgehammers. "How's this working out for you?!" Asuka shouted as she threw the tanks at some approaching VTOLs and destroyed them with ease.

Without realizing it, some tanks have snuck up behind and take aim at her power cable while she was busy with another swarm of VTOLs. Unit–02 gabbed two VTOLs and swung them around, with the tail being ripped off one of them and the rest of the crippled aircraft sent careening towards the hidden tanks, causing a massive explosion when the two met, catching Asuka off guard, and then, she got angry.

"Trying to surprise me!" Asuka screamed as she jumped around, cutting down even more VTOLs and destroying the last few tanks. Now she was only left with a few dozen VTOLs. "It's funny you think you can beat me!" Asuka shouted as she began to punch and kick he VTOLs in the vicinity, destroying them with her own personal flair. "I've got 12,000 plates of special armor, and an A.T. Field!" Asuka said proudly as she sliced through several VTOLs with only her A.T. Field, leaving only five VTOLs remaining. "There's no way in hell I'll lose…" Unit–02 grabbed the closest VTOL by the cockpit and swung it around to her left towards the second VTOL. "…to the likes of YOU!" Asuka shouted as the two VTOLs collided and exploded in a brilliant fireball. Another VTOL moved in close, only to be drop kicked by Unit–02 with the fourth being grabbed and thrown onto the ground and stomped like an ant. Asuka looked up and saw the final VTOL trying to escape. "Oh no you don't!" Asuka shouted as Unit–02 leapt into the air, activating its retro thrusters as it did. Unit–02 came level with the VTOL and grabbed it around the middle and pulled it back down to earth with it, slamming it into the ground, completely obliterating the airframe. Unit–02 stood up proudly, but in her fervor, Asuka didn't realize she'd cut into her own power cable, leaving it hanging by a half of its thickness.

"Well, at least the fight's… over?" Asuka asked as she saw thirteen flying wings on the horizon. "Those look like the things to carry EVAs…" Asuka muttered. "I guess the fight's just getting started."

–––

Shinji stared down his father with contempt and walked towards Misato. "Go to hell, father." Shinji said defiantly. "I'm never going to help you."

"Fool." Gendo said. "You've doomed us all…"

"No, just your psychotic plan… Come on, Shinji, let's go." Misato said as she guided Shinji away as her phone rang. "Maya? What do you mean the Command Center was breached and the Cage is in enemy hands? … What, I have Shinji. … Yes, yes, what?!" Misato exclaimed. "Are you sure Fuyutsuki said SEELE sent the thirteen flying wings?"

"What about SEELE?" Shinji asked.

"Asuka's doing what?!" Misato shouted. "Bullshit, she can't fight thirteen Evangelions alone!"

"She's barely a capable pilot, she won't last long against those monstrosities." Gendo said snidely.

Shinji turned to his father and noticed how distracted Misato was on the phone, barely holding onto her gun. Shinji bum rushed her and knocked her to the ground and took her gun from her. Shinji pointed it angrily at his father. "Shut up!" Shinji shouted.

"What did I say other than the truth?" Gendo asked. "She's not the best fighter, she could barely take an Angel on her own, not, and pitting her against their thirteen Evangelions is something truly horrific."

"This is your fault!" Shinji shouted. "You could have stopped all this by refusing to help them!"

"I doubt it would have made a difference, Shinji." Gendo said. "Now put the gun down."

"Well, you forcing mother back won't do anything either." Shinji said. "You have to want to come back… that's the only way to free yourself. My mother doesn't want to be ear the likes of you anymore… it's a she even loved you at all!"

"And how would you know if she didn't want to come back?" Gendo asked angrily.

"Shinji, give me the gun." Misato said.

"Because I wanted to come back, and that was the only way to get free." Shinji replied in kind. "So go to hell."

"No, Shinji, you've doomed us all to hell…" Gendo said. "A hell created by SEELE…"

"I said to shut the hell up!" Shinji shouted.

"Shinji, give me he gun!" Misato said forcefully.

"Or what?" Gendo asked as he lowered his Adam hand. "You won't shoot me, Shinji, you're not…"

BANG BANG BANG… BANG BANG BANG BANG… BANG BANG… CLICK CLICK CLICK

Gendo doubled over in pain, clutching his stomach as crimson blood poured out between his fingers. "…capable…"

"FUCKING HELL, SHINJI!" Misato shouted as Gendo began to bleed on the floor. "What did you do that for?"

"He deserved it." Shinji muttered. "For everything he's done…"

"Shinji… why…?" Gendo asked weakly.

"Shinji, come on, we need to go." Misato said as she grabbed a pair of riles and some ammo from the load of bodies around them. "We have to get you to Unit–01." Misato grabbed Shinji and dragged him away. "Come on!"

"I thought you said the Cages were…" Shinji began as Shinji looked back one more time on Gendo and saw the pool of blood slowly get bigger.

"Doesn't matter now." Misato said. "You need to help Asuka, and you need Unit–01 to do it. Don't worry, we'll be fine."

–––

Asuka stared in shock as the thirteen Mass Production Evangelions were released from their flying wing transports. Each one was held in place by its head arms and feet with its blood red Entry Plug sticking out. On the sides of these were the words "KAWORU DMYSYS" which then slid into place to activate the white behemoths. Each one was and deployed what looked like glider wings and gracefully circled the hole leading to the Geofront. As they approached the ground, they flapped the wings and landed lightly on the ground, encircling Unit–02. Each one was carrying a Heavy Spear, with a handle set between two wide blades that made up its entire length and width, its dark metal finish and semi–bright cutting surface contrasting nicely with the bright white armor of the MPEs. They were sickening creatures, each with eyeless, wormlike heads that were highlighted by blood red lips and a toothy, demented grin, and a lilac colored clavicle that had the kanji of one of the numbers 1 through 13 written out on them.

"What the fuck…" Asuka muttered.

" _Asuka, do you copy?_ " Maya asked. " _Can you hear me?_ "

"Yeah." Asuka replied. "What are these things?"

" _They're Evangelions._ " Maya said. " _Just take out as many as you can, Misato has Shinji, but he won't be able to deploy… so you're on your own._ "

"Fine." Asuka said as the last MPE landed. "I have four and a half minutes of power left, and there are thirteen of them, that almost 21 seconds per unit… wunderbar…"

Asuka griped the control yokes and slammed them forward, charging the closest MPE, and leaping into the air. "YAAAAHHHHH!" Asuka cried as Unit–02 stretched out its arms and plunged its fists into the first MPE's head, ripping its jaw off and throwing blood everywhere. A second MPE charged her from behind and Asuka took the first one and slammed it into the second, knocking it back. She charged a third, slamming it in the gut with Unit–02's knee, and then lifting into the air and breaking its back against the same knee.

"Two down!" Asuka shouted proudly as the second MPE got up and charged with the fourth. Asuka dodged the attack of the second MPE's Heavy Spear, rolling to the right and into the path of the fourth, which Asuka punched through the chest from a kneeling position, impaling it with Unit–02 fist and using the other hand force its head back and break its neck. The second one attacked her again with a fifth, charging her together. The fifth tackled her to the ground, and began snapping at Unit–02 head, causing Asuka to panic a bit. "Get the fuck off of me!" Asuka screamed as she armed her shoulder pylons, each was equipped with five pneumatic spikes that could be fired at close range. Asuka took her time to line up the shot and then fired all ten right into the fifth MPE's face, sending it flying backwards, spraying blood everywhere. Unit–02 stood up and was immediately tackled by the second MPE, which held her to the ground and bit down on Unit–02's throat.

"AAAAHHHHH!" Asuka screamed. "I don't have time to play with you!" Unit–02 moved its hands around the second MPEs neck and clamped down hard, sinking its fingers into its flesh, slowly breaking through the exterior and causing blood to spirt out. Unit–02 then wrapped its legs around the MPE and used its grip to roll over, and get on top of it and force the MPE's mouth off Unit–02's neck. Unit–02 began slamming the MPEs head into the ground, and with each hit, it began to split open the back of its skull.

"Why… wont… you… fucking…" Asuka shouted between each slam of the MPE's head. "DIE!" The MPE's head finally split open, and it the MPE stopped struggling, but Asuka didn't notice, and she kept slamming the head against the ground until it was little more than pulp. "RAAAAAHHHHH!" Asuka screamed. "That's what happens when you mess with Asuka Langley Soryu!"

Asuka saw the fourth MPE get back up, the hole in its chest and all and it was flanked by the sixth and seventh MPEs as they charged at her together.

"Bring it on!" Asuka shouted as Unit–02 reached up and deployed its Prog Knives. "I got three minutes left just for you!"

The trio collided in a mass of flesh and metal and began swinging and striking at each other with Asuka dodging or blocking every attack they sent her way.

"Mien Gott!" Asuka exclaimed. "This is so much fun!"

–––

Misato and Shinji were moving quickly through the halls of NERV. They were doing their best to avoid the JSSDF, which was difficult given that most of the base was being held by them. As they got to the Cage, they looked through the main entrance and saw a huge grouping of JSSDF soldiers mulling about.

"Holy shit, they really don't want us to get in there." Misato said quietly.

"So how am I going to help Asuka?" Shinji asked. "I don't think we can get through that  _without_  an Evangelion."

"We go up to the top and enter from a maintenance hatch on the upper level." Misato said. "It's the best plan we got."

"Ok…" Shinji replied as Misato led him up several levels to a concealed crawlspace.

"That's it?" Shinji asked.

"Yeah, get in." Misato said.

Shinji obeyed and crawled in, with Misato following closely behind. As they got to the grate overlooking Unit–01, they were both stunned, they could only see the head and part of the shoulders, leaving the rest encased in Bakelite, courtesy of the JSSDF.

"Oh no…" Misato murmured. "It's completely encased in Bakelite…"

"I guess they've never heard of overkill…" Shinji muttered.

"But they've definitely heard of Unit–01." Misato quipped.

"So what are we going to do?" Shinji asked.

"Well… I have to go down there." Misato said.

"How would that help?" Shinji asked.

"Well, see that far wall with the switch?" Misato asked. "That wall has the release to what can melt that Bakelite into goo."

"Misato, there's too many of them!" Shinji said.

"Shinji, quiet down." Misato said. "I'm the only one that can, don't worry, I'll be fine… but I do have one question before I go."

"What?" Shinji asked.

"Shinji, aren't you… surprised?" Misato asked at Shinji's apparent lack of a reaction over Mari. "You didn't say anything about Mari."

"I've known for two days." Shinji said. "And it's true, I confronted her and told her I hated her for lying to me."

"Shinji, how could you do that?!" Misato said admonishingly. "She's your best friend!"

"I don't have any of those left!" Shinji said in a loud whisper. "I fucked it all up!"

"Well, the way you keep acting, you certainly won't have anyone left." Misato said angrily. "Like leaving Asuka naked and alone in your room."

"How… wha…?" Shinji asked.

"What happened last night, Shinji?" Misato said. "She was babbling about you abandoning her when they found her."

"I… I got scared, ok?" Shinji said. "I freaked out and I left… I ran away again, I just couldn't handle it… when the attack started, I was on my way to find her… "

"Jesus, Shinji, that's not how you do things." Misato said. "You can't run away like that in a relationship… it's not healthy."

"How would I know?" Shinji asked. "No one's ever told me any of this before… I wasn't even sure what to do!"

"Shinji, relax." Misato said. "I'll explain everything later." Misato kissed him on the cheek. "You're already a grown up though, I don't need to tell you much of anything anymore."

Misato quietly opened the grate and waited for a guard to walk below her before she jumped down and snapped his neck. After standing back up, Misato ran as quietly as possible towards the panel, but half way there, she was spotted.

"Take her out!" One of the soldiers shouted as they opened fire on Misato and hit her at least once before she could make it to cover.

"MISATO!" Shinji screamed drawing everyone's attention. "NOOOOOOOOO!"

Unit–01's eyes lit up, almost as if on command as the guards turned their guns towards the vent Shinji was in and emanated a blue shockwave that ripped the JSSDF soldiers apart when it touched them before they could fire a shot. Shinji jumped out of the vent and ran to Misato's side.

"Misato!" Shinji shouted as he ran up to her.

"Hey, Shinji." Misato replied as she got up slowly. "Unit–01 to the rescue again, huh?"

"Misato, are you ok?" Shinji asked.

"Of course, Shinji." Misato replied. "Those guys are like stormtroopers, can't hit a fucking a fucking thing."

–––

Mari had a tough time getting up to where Unit–XP was. With the JSSDF everywhere, she had to keep hiding like some kind of spy in the dark corners of the hallway, and considering she was wearing a pink plugsuit, that job wasn't exactly easy. Then, all of a sudden, all the guards seemed to disappear, and Mari had an unabated path to Unit–XP.

"Well, whatever…" Mari said as she arrived in front of her Evangelion. "Just makes my life easier." Mari looked up at it and saw that the Entry Plug had been pre–loaded for her convenience. "Well, someone thought ahead…"

Mari climbed up and got in. She turned on the Entry Plug from the inside and watched it close, bringing back a flash of her first time, the time she was absorbed. "Don't think about that now… need to focus…"

The Evangelion came online then the screens went red. "Oh, fuck you and your error codes!" Mari shouted. "I could give a shit if that I'm not authorized or that the legs aren't fully functional, or if half the armor isn't installed! Fucking override!" Mari began playing with the controls as she broke into the Evangelion's OS. "Fucking bullshit… no one's got time for this shit…" Mari found the command she was looking for. "Huh… Omega directives… neat." Mari selected several to give her full control of the EVA. "So, override the damage lockout, override activation control, override launch control… bitch is mine now… ok… let's go." Mari grabbed the control yokes and eased them forward and nothing happened. "What the… seriously?" Mari said angrily. "I have to override more shit?" Mari grumbled as she got back to work. "Fucking bullshit…"

–––

The fourth, sixth, and seventh MPEs were fighting vigorously with Unit–02. Asuka was dodging their violent Heavy Spear swings, either by ducking or jumping like some kind of side scroller, or blocking their massive Heavy Spears with her relatively small Prog Knives.

"I don't have time for this shit!" Asuka screamed. "You shouldn't be attacking me anyway, there's a hole in your chest!"

As Asuka was anticipating their moves, which she began to notice weren't very varied in their execution, so when she saw an opening, she took her chance and jumped at the fourth MPE, slamming her Prog Knives into its clavicle, and slamming the fourth MPE into the ground. She tried her best to keep it down, and struggled so much so that one of her Prog Knives broke off. Asuka took the opportunity to hold down the MPE's weapon arm. Asuka anticipated an attack, and Unit–02 spun around, pulling the fourth MPE on top of it, and using it to block the sixth and seventh MPEs as they struck with their Heavy Spears, cleaving the fourth MPE in an attempt to hit Unit–02. Asuka used all her might throw the fourth MPE over her head, with the other two still attached via their Heavy Spears. As she sent them flying, she continued to hold onto her remaining Prog Knife and the fourth MPE's weapons arm, which tore off as the three MPEs flew away, while spraying blood all over the place. Asuka rolled Unit–02 onto its back and rolled forward, leaping back onto her feet, arm in hand. Asuka then pried the Heavy Spear from its hand and gripped it tightly in her own. She charged the three MPEs, cutting the side of the fourth's head off, with it limply falling down. The sixth couldn't pull its weapon from the fourth in time and was cleaved from the shoulder to the waist and kicked away from Unit–02 as the seventh charged once again, only to be intercepted by Unit–02 thrusting its Heavy Spear into its gut and cutting upwards, knocking yet another MPE out of the fight.

"Fuck yeah!" Asuka said as she looked around and counted her kills. "Seven fuckers down… six to go…" Asuka looked over at her countdown timer. "Now I just have to kill these fuckers with 80 seconds left on the clock…" Asuka smirked as she sized up what was left. "Here's where the fun begins…"

To Be Continued

* * *

A/N: I do not own Evangelion or any of the characters, GAINAX and the other distributors of NGE related material do. I am simply using them as a backdrop for my fanfic.

Sync Score Rankings!  
Asuka – 95.7% (+90.5%)  
Shinji – 92.5% (No Change)  
Mari – 22.5% (No Change)  
Rei – 20.0% (No Change)

The reason I chose the chapter name should be fairly straightforward. A good and perfectly fitting title to what's going on.

Firstly, it's been a while since I've put any German in here, save for maybe a "mien Gott" or "arschloch" here and there, but what Kyoko says to Asuka "Viel Glück" simply means good luck in German.

As for the chapter itself, writing out Asuka's moment in the sun, even if it a bit over the top, was incredibly fun to do. On top of that, we have the second part of the showdown between Shinji and Gendo that so needed to happen, finishing off the beat down Shinji gave him after Bardiel. I figured, Gendo needed to be shot anyway, why not work in having Shinji do it and empty the rest of Misato's clip into him at the same time.

Finally, as for changing the amount of MPEs from 9 to 13, it was an easy decision to make. I made them an entirely separate line of Evangelions, the Mark II, which have several design changes from the Mark I's, which we know as the hero Evangelions in the show. A lack of shoulder pylons and weapons, save for their Heavy Spears, and not to mention their eyeless face and Dummy Plugs, make them more different than similar

As I said before, and will always say at the end of chapter, please leave comments, as I would like to try to improve the story going forward any way I can. And, hell, constructive criticism is a good thing.

* * *

つづく


	9. My Love, My Anger, and All of My Sorrow

Neon Genesis Evangelion: Legacy  
Episode VI: Return of Reality

* * *

Chapter 9 – My Love, My Anger, and All of My Sorrow  
December 31, 2016 – NERV HQ, Evangelion Cage

Shinji was staring at Misato, looking her up and down, and trying to see if anything was wrong with her. He saw that there was a pool of blood where she had been hiding, and pointed to it.

"Misato, you're bleeding!" Shinji said. "You're clearly not fine!"

"I'm fine, really." Misato said. "Barely a scratch."

"No you're not, there's blood!" Shinji said. "That means you got shot!"

"Well, I'm better off than your dad." Misato joked. "Come on, don't worry about little old me, I'll make it through."

"Kaji didn't!" Shinji said angrily. "I don't want to lose you too!"

"Shinji, I'll be fine, don't worry about me." Misato said weakly. "It's a flesh wound… now go out there and help Asuka, got it?"

"But, Misato…" Shinji said.

"Shinji, don't you have a girlfriend to worry about?" Misato asked. "I can fix a scratch, now go… that's an order."

"Misato… I can't… I can't make the same mistake of leaving someone behind that needs me again…" Shinji said.

"Asuka is against thirteen Evangelions, she needs you far more than I do." Misato said. "Now go, I'll be here, waiting for the two of you to get back."

"But, Misato…" Shinji pleaded.

"Shinji, you don't have time to be arguing with me!" Misato said angrily. "Now go! I promise you I'll be fine, now go and help the person that really needs it!"

"Yeah, I know." Shinji replied, but before he could do so, Unit–01 shuttered in place and ripped the Bakelite apart, freeing itself without any assistance from Shinji. It reached out its left arm to where Shinji was and ejected its Entry Plug.

"See, I'm not the only one who thinks so." Misato joked.

"Fine, I get the hint…" Shinji muttered. "But if anyone asks…"

"I'll tell them I threatened you." Misato said. "Now go!"

Shinji climbed into Unit–01 and it closed the Entry Plug for him and turned itself on, syncing with Shinji almost immediately. Shinji looked around and saw Misato wave at him from the catwalk, and he felt Unit–01 slump forward as it was released from its restraints by the Command Center.

" _Shinji, hurry!_ " Maya pleaded. " _Asuka's almost out of time!_ "

"Alright!" Shinji said. "Move me to the elevator!"

" _Not with the Bakelite still everywhere._ " Maya said. " _Just walk there, and launch yourself when ready._ "

"Roger that." Shinji replied as Unit–01 moved away.

–––

Asuka was standing against the remaining six MPEs. She paused for a moment to survey them before they attacked her en masse. The eighth, ninth, and tenth MPEs moved at her from the front while the eleventh, twelfth, and thirteenth came in from behind. Holding the Heavy Spear tightly in her hands, Asuka moved to begin cutting them down before she was entirely out of power. Asuka spun around, easily blocking attacks from the six of them, deflecting their blows away from Unit–02 with skill and precision.

"Is this the best you assholes got?!" Asuka shouted as she was attack by three of them at once. She crouched beneath their Heavy Spears, causing them to grapple with each other, Unit–02 did a backwards combat roll, and then began her strike. Unit–02 swung at the eighth MPE, taking off its right arm above the elbow with it forward swing, and cutting through its mid torso on the left side with the backswing, leaving it unable to support the weight of its weapon anymore. The tenth turned towards her and aimed low. Unit–02 jumped up and somersaulted behind it, impaling it though the chest from behind.

"I hope this hurts!" Asuka shouted as Unit–02 twisted the Heavy Spear in the tenth MPE, creating a larger wound, and then pushing the MPE off her Heavy Spear to free up her weapon for the eleventh, which swung at her from behind. Unit–02 dodged with another combat roll, but was still caught on the shoulder, causing Asuka to scream in agony.

"AAAAHHHHH!" Asuka cried as she saw her shoulder was bleeding. "You motherfuckers, you're gonna pay for that!"

Unit–02 stabbed the ninth MPE from the ground after coming out of its combat roll and stood up when it made contact, slicing it from its gut, diagonally to its left shoulder, causing it collapse. Unit–02 turned on the MPE that had landed the shot, the eleventh, and charged it with angrily, swinging the Heavy Spear in a tight spiral, catching and disarming the eleventh, and then cutting its chest and arms several times before impaling its neck and cutting sideways, leaving its head dangling on a few feet of flesh.

"That's what you get when you fuck with me!" Asuka shouted triumphantly. "Eleven down… 22 seconds to go…" Asuka smirked. "Plenty of time…"

The twelfth MPE came at Unit–02 from the right side with a very high swing. Unit–02 dodged left and caught the opposing Heavy Spear with its own, and swung up and away to leave the MPE open for a strike. Unit–02 spun around to the right, parrying the MPE's own Heavy Spear and deflecting it upwards, and bringing its own Heavy Spear right at the twelfth MPE's head, cutting straight through its jaw, splitting it in two. Blood sprayed everywhere, making the MPE collapse in a pool of its own blood just like its brothers.

"One left!" Asuka shouted as she turned and faced the sole remaining MPE. Unit–02 charged the thirteenth and final MPE with gusto, its body language showing nothing but steadfast determination. Unit–02's Heavy Spear knocked the MPE's Heavy Spear out of its way, slashing its chest wide open, and kicking the staggering MPE backwards. As the MPE hit the ground, Unit–02 jumped into the air and took the Heavy Spear's handle in both hands, bring it up into striking position. When Unit–02 landed, it slammed the Heavy Spear right through the final MPE's head, at an odd angle, completely obliterating the head, leaving nothing but mangled flesh and a pool of goo behind.

Unit–02 pulled its Heavy Spear from the ground and leaned against it as Asuka sighed deeply. "Thirteen down with three seconds to spare…" Asuka said proudly. "And for once, I didn't need Shinji's help."

As the Entry Plug shut down around her and the emergency lights came on, Maya's voice came over the comm.

" _Good job, Asuka!_ " Maya said proudly. " _Shinji's in Unit–01 now, so he'll come and get you out of there._ "

"So is it over?" Asuka asked.

" _Seems that way at least._ " Maya said. " _Just sit tight while I get him out there._ "

"Good, then I gloat about how  _awesome_  I am!" Asuka said proudly. "And then call him an idiot for leaving me alone…" Asuka smiled. "But he's my idiot… my baka…"

Outside Unit–02, where Asuka could no longer see, the thirteen MPEs began to glow a sickening orange as their wounds began to slowly heal.

–––

The Japanese Prime Minister was calmly sipping tea in his office when the red phone rang. He set sown the tea and reached over to the phone.

"Yes." The Prime Minister said.

" _Good evening sir._ " General Hitsugaya said. " _I have news._ "

"You've taken NERV and captured the Evangelions?" The Prime Minister asked hopefully.

" _Unfortunately not, sir._ " General Hitsugaya replied. " _Our soldiers inside the complex have stopped responding to all communications. We can't get a hold of anyone inside._ "

"Where could they have gone, General?" The Prime Minister asked.

" _We don't know, sir._ " General Hitsugaya replied. " _Should we send in the reserve troops?_ "

"Have SEELE's science project arrived yet?" The Prime Minister asked.

" _About six minutes ago, sir._ " General Hitsugaya reported. " _Thirteen in all._ "

"Oh, that won't last long." The Prime Minister quipped. "Hold the reserve troops until I give the order."

" _Understood, sir._ " General Hitsugaya replied. " _Is there anything else?_ "

"Hold the line on the surface and at their exit points, let no one escape." The Prime Minster said. "Good luck, General."

" _Thank you, sir._ " General Hitsugaya said as the line disconnected.

–––

Back in the Command Center, the JSSDF had stopped assaulting the door, and Fuyutsuki had sent a twelve man team to scout out their location to see why they had suddenly stopped, so in the meantime everyone was waiting. Maya was still hiding under her desk. Even through the noise had stopped several minutes ago, Maya still felt it safe to stay down and wait for the report. She did however let Shinji know that Asuka was safe and awaiting recovery, which would be done by him due to everyone having evacuated.

"Sir, the scouts just reported." Hyuga said. "The JSSDF are gone."

"How is that even possible?" Maya asked.

"I agree, they wouldn't just retreat…" Fuyutsuki said. "Are the entrances still guarded?"

"Heavily, sir." Aoba reported. "But one minute, they were blasting at the door with an RPG, and then it suddenly stopped. I just doesn't make sense."

"Maybe it had to do with the anomaly." Maya said.

"What anomaly?" Fuyutsuki asked.

"Data from Unit–01 indicates that it emitted some sort of energy wave around the time the JSSDF stopped attacking us. It's very similar to the one that would eliminate the enemy Mobile Dolls."

"So it destroyed them." Fuyutsuki says. "Well… at least we don't have that to worry about now."

"No, but it appears we have another problem." Maya said. "I'm reading thirteen energy signatures from the Geofront, very weak, getting steadily more powerful."

"Tell me one of those is Unit–02." Fuyutsuki said.

"No sir, it's the other ones." Maya said.

"Get Unit–01 up there now!" Fuyutsuki said. "Inform Shinji and Asuka of the change, and get them moving."

"Understood, sir." Maya replied.

"What should we do sir?" Hyuga asked.

"Secure this area and regain control of the Cage." Fuyutsuki said. "Try and contact any survivors and move them somewhere central. We can't keep our forces spread out over this entire base for too long."

"Understood, sir." Hyuga replied.

"Shinji, can you hear me?" Maya asked.

" _Yes._ " Shinji replied.

"I'm giving you a Sonic Sword and a pair of Smash Hawks." Maya said. "The enemy is getting back up, you need to launch now!"

" _What do you mean?_ " Shinji asked. " _I thought Asuka took them all down?_ "

"She did, but they're getting back up." Maya said. "They're healing."

" _Oh no…_ " Shinji said. " _She can't fight alone… not when she's out of power… and I promised Misato… I promised I'd save her._ "

"Just relax, Shinji, and be careful." Maya said. "And good luck."

" _Thanks Maya._ " Shinji replied. "I'm ready."

"Unit–01… launch!" Maya said.

–––

Misato looked over as Unit–01 was loaded onto the launch elevator and smiled.

"Well… I had to lie to him, didn't I?" Misato muttered to herself. "Otherwise the dummy would have tried to save me…" Misato chuckled. "Give 'em hell, kids…"

As Unit–01 shot towards the surface, Misato collapsed and passed out, still with a smile on her face.

–––

Asuka was sitting in her Entry Plug, waiting impatiently for Shinji to arrive and get her free. She was tending the wound on her shoulder.

"I can see why Shinji was always afraid to pilot…" Asuka said. "I didn't realize you could get really hurt like this in here… I just thought he didn't want to hurt anything…"

" _Asuka, are you there?_ " Maya asked.

"Yeah, I'm here." Asuka said. "Something wrong?"

" _Yes, the enemy is waking back up, all thirteen of them!_ " Maya said. " _You need to get out of there, now!_ "

"That's not possible!" Asuka said angrily. "And I'm not leaving Unit–02!"

" _Asuka, you don't have time, they're getting up right now!_ " Maya shouted.

"No, I can do this!" Asuka said as she cut off the comm. "Momma! If you can hear me, we need to fight!" Asuka shook the control yokes as she spoke. "Momma, we can do this, just do what Unit–01 did! Wake up! Help me kill these things again!"

The Entry Plug slowly came online and Asuka's jaw dropped. "Bullshit!" Asuka shouted as the thirteen MPEs were slowly standing up, bathed in an orange glow, their many wounds healing right before her very eyes. As they all stood up, they faced Unit–02, all showing the same demented grin. Twelve of them picked up their weapons and slowly moved towards the still defenseless Unit–02.

"Come on!" Asuka screamed. "Momma, don't abandon me now! I need you! Please momma, help me fight them!"

Unit–02's four eyes glowed brightly and it stood up, gripping its Heavy Spear to face the approaching enemies. "Yeah, momma, we can do this!" Asuka shouted as Unit–02 moved forward, stumbling a bit and struggling against the bolts holding its jaw shut.

"Come on, momma!" Asuka shouted as the MPEs moved closer. "Let's do this!"

Unit–02 was body slammed by the fourth MPE, whose weapon she had stolen before, its arm miraculously regrown. Unit–02 let go of the Heavy Spear in surprise, with the MPE regaining its weapon. Unit–02 stood up slowly, alone, and faced with a now fast approaching enemy. The fourth MPE, its Heavy Spear in hand, drew its arm back and threw the Heavy Spear towards Unit–02.

"No!" Asuka shouted as Unit–02 raised its right hand and its A.T. Field flashed. "You can't take me out that easily!"

The Heavy Spear struggled against he A.T. Field, being held in place by it, but still not falling like a normal weapon would. Two more were thrown at Unit–02, and blocked similarly by Unit–02's left hand, and stayed suspended in the air as well. Unit–02's A.T. Field began to falter, trying to hold back the Heavy Spears, until they began to morph into a different shape, slowly twisting around into a long and narrow shaft capped off with a bident shaped at its head.

"What the fuck is that?!" Asuka asked as the three Spears of Longinus began cutting into her A.T. Field and then suddenly bypassed it. Each of the three Spears of Longinus pierced Unit–02, transferring those wounds directly to Asuka. One went right through Unit–02's left eyes, another split Unit–02's right arm down to its shoulder, and the third went right though Unit–02's abdomen.

"AAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!" Asuka screamed as her body replicated Unit–02's horrific wounds. "Shinji, where are you?! SHINJI!"

As Asuka used her good hand to cover her bleeding eye and as she felt consciousness slipping away from her, she looked through the cloudy LCL and saw Unit–01 not too far off in the distance. 'I guess this is how I die… seeing my savior come just a minute too late…' Asuka thought as she passed out before she saw what else was coming.  
–––

Mari had been running through the command code of Unit–XP, finally finding how to bypass what was holding her back from deploying, a line of code that kept anyone from launching this particular EVA if the damage to its mechanical parts was too severe to be fully effective in battle.

"Ha, fuck you!" Mari said. "Now I can go…" Mari grabbed the control yokes and eased them forward, but nothing happened. "What… seriously?" Mari asked. "I've got control… I've… oh…" Mari noticed her sync score and saw how low it was. "8%… fuck me." Mari sighed. "But I want to go fight! I always miss out on the fighting! I don't like being here not being able to fucking help my friends!"

Mari slammed the controls, which turned the comms on and then she could overhear what was going on, and Maya's frantic communications with her friends.

" _Shinji, can you hear me?_ " Maya asked.

" _Yes._ " Shinji replied.

" _I'm giving you a Sonic Sword and a pair of Smash Hawks._ " Maya said. " _The enemy is getting back up, you need to launch now!_ "

" _What do you mean?_ " Shinji asked. " _I thought Asuka took them all down?_ "

" _She did, but they're getting back up._ " Maya said. " _They're healing._ "

" _Oh no…_ " Shinji said. " _She can't fight alone… not when she's out of power… and I promised Misato… I promised I'd save her._ "

" _Just relax, Shinji, and be careful._ " Maya said. " _And good luck._ "

" _Thanks Maya._ " Shinji replied. " _I'm ready._ "

" _Unit–01… launch!_ " Maya said. " _Ok…_ "

"What's going on…" Mari muttered. "Is she in danger…?"

" _Asuka, are you there?_ " Maya asked.

" _Yeah, I'm here._ " Asuka said. " _Something wrong?_ "

" _Yes, the enemy is waking back up, all thirteen of them!_ " Maya said. " _You need to get out of there, now!_ "

" _That's not possible!_ " Asuka said angrily. " _And I'm not leaving Unit–02!_ "

" _Asuka, you don't have time, they're getting up right now!_ " Maya shouted.

" _No, I can do this!_ " Asuka said as the comms cut off.

"Thirteen…" Mari muttered. "And they got back… up…? They need me… and my fucking sync score is an eight!" Mari screamed. "I fucking hate this, my friends are in danger, and all I've done is hacked an Evangelion and sat her on my ass while they're in danger! Fucking move you piece of shit, get up and go! I need to help them, I want to help them!" Mari slammed the controls over and over again to no avail. "I can't lose them too! I lost their mothers, but I can't lose them too! I can't live without them!"

Mari felt Unit–XP jerk with the last slam of the controls and saw her sync score had shot up very high.

"Huh… 85.5%… that's more like it…" Mari muttered as she grinned broadly as she brought up her overrides. "Launch control… clearing path to the Geofront surface… elevator path enabled."

Unit–XP moved its left arm and grabbed the fully loaded Gatling gun and did a few quick jabs with its right arm and its attached spear. Unit–XP moved forward and spun around to move in reverse when it got to the elevator and loaded itself on. "Time to go kick some fucking ass."

" _Mari, what the hell are you doing?_ " Maya asked over the comms.

"Helping." Mari replied. "I'm going to go up there and kill some shit dead."

" _Mari, your EVA isn't even battle ready!_ " Maya said. " _You can't go up there, you shouldn't even be able to be moving!_ "

"I hacked it, now it's doing what I want it to." Mari said. "I'm leaving now, my friends need my help."

" _No you're not!_ " Maya said. " _Wait… you overrode launch control?_ "

"Not that hard with the security this place has." Mari joked. "A huge fucking backdoor anyone with some minor technical knowledge cold exploit… clearly Akagi was working for the other side."

" _Mari! Stop changing the subject._ " Maya said angrily.

"What, I don't like her!" Mari replied angrily. "She hit me with a fucking gun! No we're wasting fucking time!" Mari cleared her throat. "Evangelion Unit–XP… LAUNCHING!"  
–––

Unit–01 arrived on the surface of the Geofront, and saw in the distance the backs of the thirteen MPEs standing in front of Unit–02. He saw the three Spears of Longinus pierce Unit–02's body.

"ASUKA!" Shinji screamed as Unit–01 dropped the weapons it had been given and ran towards Unit–02 as the next ten Spears of Longinus all got thrown through Unit–02's body, impaling it a total of thirteen times. Unit–02 fell backwards into the ground, writhing in pain as Shinji tried to get over to Asuka.

"Get away from her!" Shinji roared as the MPEs gather around Unit–02 grabbing their various Spears of Longinus, pulling them out and repeatedly stabbing them into Unit–02's still writhing body. "Get the fuck away from her!"

"I said to get the fuck away from her!" Unit–01 picked up the pace, its eyes igniting the familiar bright red, a blue aura began emanating from it. Shinji's eyes began to start glowing red. "NOWWWWW!"

Unit–01 got to the MPEs and the glowing field around it exploded outwards, sending the MPEs flying away from Unit–02, while flattening what was left of the terrain around them, sending the Spears of Longinus flying in every direction, with the energy field doing nothing more than cutting into the MPEs flesh, ripping chunks of it off and slamming them into the ground, motionless once more.

"Asuka!" Shinji screamed as he looked at the mangled remains of Unit–02. Its armor was ripped apart, its flesh was torn up, and its guts were hanging out. It was no longer writhing in pain, or doing much of anything… it just looked very dead.

"Asuka!" Shinji shouted at Unit–02. "Asuka, can you hear me?! Asuka, answer me!" Unit–01 bent down and rocked Unit–02 motionless corpse. "Asuka… don't be dead… please don't be dead…" Shinji said as he started to cry. "Asuka… please…" Unit–01 picked up Unit–02 limp body and clutched it against its chest. "Asuka… I'm so sorry… I should never have left you all alone… I was being stupid… I was being afraid! I didn't know what being with you like that meant! I didn't know if I deserved that kind of love and attention from anyone, let alone you! Not the way I've been the past few weeks, I didn't realize I was being tricked by Kaworu, but I should have listened to you when you told me about what he said! I shouldn't have been such a jerk! But I was, and then you came to me… and I didn't know what to say." Shinji explained as Unit–01 rocked Unit–02 silently in its arms. "Asuka… I didn't deserve to be with you… I took out all my anger on everyone around me, and on Mari… I was horrible to her too… told her I hated her… but I was just mad because it reminded me of what Kaworu did to me… I just don't deserve any friends…" Shinji sobbed. "I… was coming back to find you this morning when the alarm sounded… and now I'm too late… you're gone… and I can't bring you back… I just wanted to say sorry… I never got to tell you I was sorry…" Shinji couldn't do anything but stare at Unit–02 and sob uncontrollably. "Asuka… if I could wish for anything it would be to bring you back…" Unit–01 began to glow purple as Shinji spoke and poured his heart out. "Asuka… I'm sorry… I should have gotten out here sooner… you shouldn't have ever been alone… we should have faced this together…" Unit–01's purple aura began to condense around its chest near the Core. "Asuka… please be ok…" The purple aura formed around Unit–01's Core and moved out of its chest, hovering over Unit–02's chest and exposed Core. It slowly sank in and was absorbed by Unit–02, which then began to glow purple. "What's… what's going on?" Shinji asked as he saw Unit–02 begin to heal itself. "How… how is this possible?" Shinji stopped crying and looked on as he felt Unit–02 begin to move slightly as all the damage it had suffered slowly disappeared. "Asuka…?" Shinji asked as he saw a bright flash of light.

–––

Shinji looked around. He recognized being here before when he was trapped in Unit–01's Core, it was the place where he met his mother. Shinji looked around and saw someone with him this time, and was afraid of what it meant.

"Asuka…?" Shinji asked.

"S… Shinji…?" Asuka replied back shakily. "Am… am I dead? If I'm dead that means… they… they got you too?"

"Asuka, what are you talking about?" Shinji asked.

"Shinji… you idiot!" Asuka said as she ran over to him and hugged him as she started crying. "The… the last thing I felt was those spears… all the blood… My arm… the bone… I couldn't see… My eye was gone… everything was gone… I… I died! Why weren't you there… why did you leave me?"

" _Because I was right, sweetheart._ " Kyoko said. " _He was afraid of what it meant to be with you. And I do love being right._ "

" _That may be, but Shinji was also dealing with everything from Kaworu too, wasn't he?_ " Yui asked. " _But still, her leaving her like that wasn't very appropriate, was it?_ "

" _No, but this is what happens when kids rush things…_ " Kyoko said.

" _I wonder if this would have happened if we were there for them._ " Yui said. " _You know the right way._ "

" _Probably not…_ " Kyoko said as the two looked at their children. " _But, we won't know would we?_ "

"Mother…?" Shinji asked.

"M… momma?" Asuka asked.

" _Hello, Shinji dear._ " Yui said sweetly. " _Sorry to interrupt you, but we couldn't stay out of this particular discussion._ "

" _We are your mothers after all._ " Kyoko said.

"It's… uh… fine?" Shinji asked.

" _Asuka, darling._ " Kyoko asked. " _Why are you crying?_ "

"I… I was dead!" Asuka cried. "Shinji didn't make it time! Unit–02 got wrecked… and I got torn to shreds! I can still feel it all… every spear tearing though me and killing me!"

" _Asuka, you need to relax._ " Kyoko said calmly a she placed her hands on her shoulders. " _You never died… you came very close, but the LCL kept you alive… barely, but enough for Shinji to do… something…_ " Kyoko turned to Yui. " _I don't even get it, and I'm a certified genius… so go for it, wundergirl._ "

" _Well… Shinji loved Asuka so much, he donated part of the S2 Engine to save her._ " Yui said, giving Kyoko a look. " _I'm not sure how it's even possible, but here we are… I mean… love sounds ridiculous, doesn't it? But I think that's what that was._ "

" _Well, you heard his speech._ " Kyoko said. " _Isn't that when it started?_ "

" _I guess._ " Yui said. " _I mean… it's possible if love can sync them to us, then it can do all sorts of things in a metaphysical sense._ "

"What are you guys talking about?" Shinji asked.

"Yeah… what does love have to do with any of this?" Asuka asked.

" _Oh… she wasn't conscious for Shinji's speech._ " Yui said. " _What a shame, it was really good._ "

" _Oh, it was._ " Kyoko said. " _I was in tears._ "

"But… didn't I die?" Asuka asked again.

" _Nope, just unconscious from blood loss._ " Kyoko said. " _Hold on…_ " Kyoko walked over and hugged Asuka. " _I'll show you what Shinji said…_ "

Asuka's eyes widened in shock as Kyoko physically showed her what Shinji had said, when Kyoko stepped back, Asuka stared at Shinji in amazement.

"You really are sorry…" Asuka said. "You said all of that… and you thought I was dead…"

"I…" Shinji mumbled.

" _Shinji, now's your chance._ " Yui said. " _Your wish came true… now tell her how you feel. You can make up for what you did to her… which young man isn't very nice._ "

"I know that now mother…" Shinji said with his head bowed down. "I… I'm sorry I left you, Asuka." Shinji said. "I was wrong got do it, and I should never have left you all alone, I should have never abandoned you… I should have said no the other night…" Shinji stared at the ground. "I can understand if you can't forgive me… but I would be really happy if you could find it in your heart to forgive me."

"No." Asuka said much to everyone's shock.

" _Asuka Langley Soryu!_ " Kyoko said admonishingly.

"Let me finish, momma." Asuka said. "I'll forgive him on one condition."

"Anything, Asuka." Shinji replied.

"You forgive me for rushing you into having sex." Asuka said. "I… I didn't know that it would be an issue… I just wanted you to know how much… how much I loved you."

"Asuka… I don't need to forgive you." Shinji said. "I was all my fault. I… I love you, and you could never do anything to me to make me hate you."

" _Awww…_ " Yui said sweetly.

" _Asuka, are you going to respond?_ " Kyoko asked.

"Momma, don't rush me!" Asuka said. "You're embarrassing me in front of Shinji!"

" _That's what mothers are for._ " Kyoko said as she prodded Asuka's shoulder. " _I won't get this kind of moment again, so please, sweetheart, let me have it._ "

"Yes, momma…" Asuka replied. "Shinji, I forgive you." Asuka smiled. "You may be an idiot sometimes, but you're my idiot, my baka."

" _Oh my god, this is too much._ " Yui said.

" _Yui, focus._ " Kyoko said. " _I don't want to cut this sweet little moment short, considering Yui's really loving this, but you two do have a battle to get back to._ "

"Still?" Shinji asked. "They all got blown backwards and cut up, they should be dead!"

" _Sorry, Shinji._ " Yui said. " _Unit–01's little shockwave may work on Mobile Suits and people, but it takes a bit more to kill an Evangelion, let alone an Angel._ "

"So, we have to fight again?" Asuka asked.

" _Yes, sweetie, you do._ " Kyoko replied. " _But on the plus side, you're all healed._ "

"How?" Asuka asked. "I was… in pieces…"

" _The S2 Engine, sweetie._ " Kyoko said. " _It can do wonderful things, especially when someone else is willing you back to life… I got that right, right?_ "

" _Best as I can tell._ " Yui said.

"So, there are still thirteen of them out there?" Asuka asked.

" _Ready to strike again, yes._ " Yui replied.

"Do we have any weapons?" Asuka asked. "I… I lost my Prog Knives, and fists… aren't as effective apparently."

"I brought weapons with me, but I dropped them when I saw them… uh…" Shinji stumbled on the memory of watching Unit–02 get eviscerated. "Attacked you."

"So we go recover them." Asuka said. "And we can fight… together."

" _And without needing to worry about power cables._ " Kyoko replied.

"Can we do this?" Shinji asked. "I mean, they keep getting back up."

" _Shinji, don't worry._ " Yui said. " _We'll be here the whole time._ "

" _We should be able to help out in some way or another._ " Kyoko said.

"And we… have each other." Asuka said.

" _So, are you kids ready?_ " Yui asked.

"Yeah." Shinji said nervously.

"I am." Asuka replied.

" _Alright, kids._ " Yui said. " _Good luck._ "

" _And give 'em hell._ " Kyoko added as there was another bright flash of light.

–––

Shinji reappeared in Unit–01, the Entry Plug coming into sharp focus around him. He saw Unit–02 still in his arms as he heard Asuka over the comms.

" _Baka, you can put me down now!_ " Asuka said angrily. " _I think I can walk myself now, what do you think?_ "

"I… sorry." Shinji replied.

" _Oh, shush. You don't have to apologize… considering._ " Asuka said as unit–02 got to its feet and began flexing and stretching. " _So this is what having an S2 Engine like. Kinda neat if you think about it. No more stupid power cord._ "

" _Shinji, Asuka, do you copy?_ " Maya asked.

"Yeah we're here." Shinji said.

" _Asuka, how are you ok?_ " Maya asked. " _Your life signs were… they were…_ "

" _We know._ " Asuka replied. " _I'm fine now._ "

" _But how?_ " Maya asked.

"We can't explain it." Shinji said. "We don't even know what happened."

" _But I have an S2 Engine now._ " Asuka said proudly.

" _So… can you guys handle all this?_ " Maya asked.

"We should be fine." Shinji said.

" _It'd be nice of Mari if she was here though._ " Asuka said. " _She's always sitting on her ass, letting the adults do all the work._ "

" _Sitting on my ass, princess?_ " Mari asked. " _I'm not the one going around, getting fucked up by some wannabe Evangelions._ "

"Mari?" Shinji asked as he saw Unit–XP rolling over, with the Sonic Sword and Smash Hawks Shinji had dropped earlier.

" _Hey!_ " Asuka shouted. " _That's not funny!_ "

" _No, what's more funny is if that the power of love seems to have brought you back to life._ " Mari joked. " _It's really funny how that always solve everyone's problems._ "

" _Oh, shut up, four eyes._ " Asuka said.

" _There's the princess I know._ " Mari said as Unit–XP and its cord rolled up next to them.

" _So, Shinji… that was a nice speech…_ " Mari said quietly. " _Did you really mean everything you said?_ "

"Yeah, I'm sorry, Mari." Shinji said. "I… I overreacted to finding out about your past… and I'm… I'm really sorry."

" _What, the fact she knew our mothers?_ " Asuka said without thinking.

" _Oh, you know too?_ " Mari asked.

" _Momma told me…_ " Asuka said. " _She said you shouldn't have jumped._ "

"Huh?" Shinji asked. "What's that supposed to mean."

" _Let's talk about that later…_ " Mari said nonchalantly. " _Puppy, all is forgiven, I accept your apology, and I think you owe me at least a week's worth of cuddling._ "

"O… ok…" Shinji mumbled. "Are you ok, Mari? I know I wasn't the…"

" _Yeah, I'll be fine._ " Mari said. " _After hearing that speech, I really couldn't be mad anymore…_ "

" _What are you guys talking about?_ " Maya asked. " _How can Mari have known your mothers? What the hell is going on?_ "

" _So, are we ready to fight or what?_ " Mari asked subtly. " _Cause I really want to kill something… or thirteen somethings, I'm not that picky._ "

"I guess so." Shinji said.

" _Well, what are we waiting for?_ " Asuka asked as Unit–02 pointe to the MPEs slowly standing back up. " _Looks like they're awake again._ "

" _So… how many times have these things been fucked up?_ " Mari asked.

" _Twice._ " Asuka replied. " _Once from me, and once from baka._ "

" _Third time's the charm._ " Mari quipped.

"Yeah, but will they get up again?" Shinji asked.

" _No idea._ " Asuka said as she took the twin Smash Hawks. " _Maybe we should make sure their Cores are destroyed this time._ "

" _Yeah, that'll work._ " Mari said.

"Then let's take them out." Shinji said as he took.

" _So, four eyes, you cover us, and we'll take care of the rest._ " Asuka said.

" _Oh, that's nice of you, princess._ " Mari said snidely.

" _What, have you seen those legs on your EVA?_ " Asuka asked. " _We're doing you a favor._ "

"Enough you two." Shinji said. "We have to focus, the fate of the world depends on what we do here…"

" _What are you talking about, Shinji?_ " Mari asked.

"It's nothing, we just have to make sure these things can't get up again." Shinji replied. "I just hope Rei is ok somewhere…"

" _I'm sure she's safe…_ " Mari said. " _At least I hope so._ "

" _Baka, we have to fight those things, and their freaky little spears of theirs?_ " Asuka asked. " _I mean, they breached my A.T. Field like it was nothing._ "

" _Then don't get caught in front of them._ " Mari said. " _Think outside the box._ "

"Guys, enough!" Shinji said as the MPEs had gathered their weapons and faced the trio. "Here they come."

To Be Continued

* * *

A/N: I do not own Evangelion or any of the characters, GAINAX and the other distributors of NGE related material do. I am simply using them as a backdrop for my fanfic.

Sync Score Rankings!  
Shinji – 100.0% (+7.5%)  
Asuka – 99.6% (+3.9%)  
Mari – 85.5% (+63.5%)  
Rei – 20.0% (No Change)

The chapter title comes from G Gundam, which has already been crossed over with this fic, if you don't believe me, see Gundam Invasion. The saying comes from the attack  _Shining Finger Sword_ , and it seems pretty accurate here from what Shinji is able to do with all of that love, anger, and sorrow.

So, there are a few things to discuss, mostly dealing with how Unit02 was revived after its more brutal than usual death, and Asuka's own brief demise. Shinji, through the power of his love (or regret is you interpret that speech of his that way) was able to tap into Unit–01's instrumentality power (when Shinji wants to wish for anything) and it not only heals Unit–02, but a piece of the S2 Engine, which is integral at making an Evangelion a god is given to Unit–02. Not unlike a liver transplant, Unit–01 gave up about half of its S2 Engine, which will have regrown within minutes, but through the power of love, which Mari points out solves so many problems. Yes, I do realize this is a trope is overused in anime, but it fit here, to show that Shinji has changed over the course of this story and has begun to mature, caring about others and not simply himself. He also brings back Asuka from death (or near death) and the two bond over that fact, because Shinji truly proved how much he loved Asuka by tapping into a power he can't control and using it help Asuka.

Next, the MPEs and their extra lives. So, the MPEs in this universe were rushed into service. However, their S2 Engines were also rushed through production. They are not full S2 Engines, but built to a less advanced degree than the real thing, with the research not completed and partially lost to Nevada's explosion. They don't have the same power output as any of the Angel's S2 Engines, or are they capable of healing damage. However, each of them was installed with two "1–ups" (packets of proto–goo that can heal at a rapid rate) in the hopes that three rounds with the thirteen of them would tire out Unit–01 and then they could overwhelm its defenses and tire Shinji out. However, Asuka, like so many other times in the series, is not considered in the plan, or is underestimated, and she tips the scale in NERV's favor.

As I said before, and will always say at the end of chapter, please leave comments, as I would like to try to improve the story going forward any way I can. And, hell, constructive criticism is a good thing.

* * *

つづく


	10. Warped Reality

Neon Genesis Evangelion: Legacy  
Episode VI: Return of Reality

* * *

Chapter 10 – Warped Reality  
December 31, 2016 – Geofront

Mari was nervous. It had been some time since she'd fought inside of Unit–XP, and given its damaged state, Mari could feel that damage in her own bod. Her legs were sore and felt like they were missing chunks of flesh and muscle. Mari didn't want to tell Asuka or Shinji this because they would tell her to fall back. Shinji especially wouldn't want Mari to get hurt just to prove a point, so Mari suffered in silence, not even bothering to hum, because she was in so much pain.

As the MPEs bean their assault, Unit–01 and unit–02 broke apart, running around the group, trying to come at them from behind. Mari's job was to distract them the best she could, which involved lots and lots of shooting to draw their attention. The tactic however, wasn't working too. With thirteen to three odds, the MPEs still had the numbers to thwart many of Asuka and Shinji's surprise attacks, by having another MPE attack them from the side. Ten minutes into the battle, little else had been done by the pilots other than doge and try not to get impaled by a Spear of Longinus.

"Come get me you ugly motherfuckers!" Mari shouted as she fired her Gatling guns in short bursts to draw their attention away from Unit–01's attack on an MPE. One of them took the bait, and the other kept charging Unit–01 anyway.

"Puppy, behind you!" Mari shouted as Unit–01 rolled with just enough time to dodge the Spear of Longinus being hurled at it.

" _I've got one!_ " Asuka shouted as Unit–02 ran at an MPE. Unit–02 jumped in the air and raised its Smash Hawks over its head, only to have another MPE body slam Unit–02 from behind, sending it tumbling to the ground way off target.

" _Son of a bitch!_ " Asuka shouted. " _Mari, where's my cover fire!_ "

"Working on covering the puppy, princess!" Mari replied back curtly as she fired more rounds at the MPEs charging Unit–01. "I only have one line of fire ya know!"

" _Well, then stop just covering him!_ " Asuka said.

" _Asuka, it's not doing me too much good anyway._ " Shinji said as Unit–01 grappled with two MPEs, trying to block their Spears of Longinus from piercing Unit–01's Core. " _There's just too many of them._ "

"That's quitter talk, puppy!" Mari shouted as she fired on two more MPEs charging towards Unit–02. The rounds caught their attention, and they changed direction, coming towards Unit–XP instead.

"Yeah, that's right you ugly motherfuckers!" Mari shouted. "Come and get me!"

Asuka took her chance and charged the two MPEs heading for Unit–XP. Unit–02 came in from behind, running at full speed, and repeated its previous attack by jumping into the air, raising its Smash Hawks above its head in an effort to strike both of them.

"Princess, on your left!" Mari shouted as Unit–02 turned and blocked the Spear of Longinus with one of its Smash Hawks. The force of the attack knocked Unit–02 to the ground, and pinned one of its weapons beneath the bident weapon prongs.

" _Gottverdammt!_ " Asuka shouted as Unit–02 tried to push the Spear of Longinus off its trapped Smash Hawk. " _Come on…!_ " Unit–02's weapon was freed when the Spear's MPE came and grabbed it. As it raised the Spear up to strike down into Unit–02's chest, Asuka rolled out of the way at the last moment, to find a second MPE waiting to attack her. Seeing it barely in time, Unit–02 rolled backwards to avoid that attack, and got back to its feet so it could fend off the MPEs coming to surround it.

" _This is not good._ " Asuka said angrily. " _They weren't this aggressive before._ "

" _Maybe killing them two times pissed them off._ " Shinji said.

"Or maybe whoever is controlling them is stepping up the violence." Mari suggested. "Cause I doubt there are plots in these things… they remind me of the Dummy System."

" _Huh?_ " Shinji asked as Unit–01 kicked one of the MPEs away from it and took off in a run to get away from the other one it was fighting. " _I thought they were humans trying to kill us like this!_ "

" _No, she's right._ " Asuka said as Unit–02 jumped over two MPEs towards where Unit–01 was running to. " _They're a bit predictable, but it's like they're learning or something…_ "

" _So, we're fucked then?_ " Shinji asked. " _I mean, if they're learning, we can't really stop them, can we? They're already figuring out our moves._ "

"Puppy, we're doing something right from the playbook." Mari said. "Cover fire and sneak attacks aren't exactly new."

" _So… we just have to think outside the box._ " Asuka said.

" _What if we run at the spears instead of avoiding them?_ " Shinji asked. " _We can draw their attention and distract them with that. Would that work?_ "

" _It's risky, but it could pay off._ " Asuka said. " _But we need bait, and then someone to strike from above._ "

" _From above?_ " Shinji asked.

" _Yeah, someone else climbs the Geofront and leaps down from above._ " Asuka said. " _They won't be able to dodge it._ "

" _Ok…_ " Shinji said.

"I'll be the bait." Mari said. "I can handle that."

" _How would that work, you can barely move! You can't fucking chase them down! You lay down cover fire._ " Asuka said angrily. " _Shinji will be the bait._ "

" _Why me?_ " Shinji asked.

" _Because I said so, baka._ " Asuka replied. " _And because you suggested it._ "

"So, what, just keep distracting them?" Mari asked. "But I want to do more…"

" _Yeah, keep them away from Unit–01… anything that gets close shoot at them… and… um…_ " Asuka said. " _Yeah… that should work. Just shoot stuff._ "

"Are you making this shit up as you go along?" Mari asked.

" _So what if I am?_ " Asuka grumbled.

"Just making sure if this gets fucked up, it isn't my fault." Mari quipped.

" _No, we'll just blame Shinji for being bad bait._ " Asuka joked.

" _No, it'll be your fault for not coming up with a better plan._ " Shinji said.

"Or it'll be both." Mari said. "Why don't we try this plan out and see if we can make some headway with killing these assholes before judging though."

" _Whatever four eyes._ " Asuka replied. " _Ok, Shinji, get over there and draw them to you._ "

" _Yeah, fine._ " Shinji said. " _Be careful, Asuka._ "

" _You too, baka._ " Asuka replied.

Unit–01 moved away from Unit–02 towards the group of charging MPEs. Unit–02 moved away as though it was retreating, and Unit–XP took aim at the MPEs Unit–01 was charging through.

"Hey motherfuckers, over here!" Mari shouted. "Say hi to the hot lead!"

Unit–01 shoved past several more MPEs and circled around to charge at them again, using its Sonic Sword to knock their Spears of Longinus out of the way as Shinji kept them wholly focused on him. Each one followed Unit–01 with its eyeless face and demented, toothy grin as Unit–01 ran through them repeatedly, with them coming closer to impaling him each time.

" _Asuka, hurry up!_ " Shinji said.

" _Do you know how long it takes to climb the side of this fucking thing?_ " Asuka asked.

" _Well… no._ " Shinji said.

" _Then shut up and keep them distracted!_ " Asuka shouted.

" _Fine… fine…_ " Shinji muttered. " _I'll just try not to get stabbed._ "

" _Been there, done that, baka._ " Asuka quipped.

"Hey guys, here's an idea…" Mari quipped. "Focus!"

" _Then why don't you keep shooting!_ " Asuka replied back. " _I'm almost at the huge hole in the roof. Baka, try and guide them closer to the edge of the hole._ "

" _Which direction?_ " Shinji asked.

" _Southwest._ " Asuka replied.

Unit–01 slowly began pushing and corralling the MPEs towards the southwest edge of the crater above them. As Unit–01 moved them closer, they were also getting farther away from Unit–XP. That still didn't stop Mari from shooting at them or anything. However, once the group of MPEs got far enough away, six of them split off and headed back towards Unit–XP, leaving seven for Unit–01 to fend off. As Unit–01 got them into position, near the edge, Shinji ended up getting surrounded, using the Sonic Sword to try and protect himself from getting impaled.

" _Asuka, anytime now!_ " Shinji said.

" _Banzai!_ " Asuka creamed as Unit–02 leapt off the crater's edge towards the melee below. Both Smash Hawks were extended outwards as Unit–02 crashed into two of the seven MPEs below, splitting their heads in half on impact. The other five backed away slowly as Unit–02 began slamming the Smash Hawks into one of the disabled MPEs, hacking away at its chest until the Core was exposed. As the other five MPEs moved away from Unit–01, it took the Sonic Sword and began heavily swinging it into the other MPE Unit–02 has disabled, doing the same thing, cutting the body open until the Core was exposed. In unison, Unit–01 and Unit–02 struck at the Cores, shattering them to pieces, as their respective MPEs erupted into massive cross shaped explosions, knocking both the MPEs and Unit–01 and Unit–02 well back from the explosion's origin.

" _See, baka?_ " Asuka said. " _It worked._ "

" _Well, if they're learning like you said they're learning._ " Shinji said. " _That trick will only work the once._ "

Mari saw the explosion in the distance, but had little time to focus on it. She had MPEs baring down on her, with no help in sight.

"Uh, guys?" Mari asked. "A little help would be nice!"

–––

Everyone left in the Command Center looked on joyfully as the first two MPEs were permanently destroyed. Hyuga and Aoba had worked to restore the main monitor online so they could monitor the battle with the few cameras that remained after the various assaults on the Geofront. Even though there were only a few guards left, they certainly made a lot of noise when NERV's Evangelions were able to gain an upper hand and wipe out two of the MPEs.

"Lieutenant Ibuki, how are they doing?" Fuyutsuki asked.

"Shinji and Asuka's sync score are starting to edge above 100%, sir." Maya said. "If they keep going like this, they could be in trouble."

"Unfortunately, Lieutenant, they may need to push that boundary to win." Fuyutsuki said. "Because it appears the Dummy Plugs those Mark IIs are using have had their violence level increased."

"You mean the inhibitors that were designed…" Maya began.

"Yes, to control the violent behavior exhibited during the fight with the Thirteenth Angel before I had the Dummy System scrapped." Fuyutsuki said. "They've disabled that… I'm just surprised SEELE would steal what is otherwise a useless technology."

"Unless they thought that thirteen of those things in a less violent state would be enough." Hyuga suggested. "Unless they assumed we'd only be able to field one Evangelion."

"Well, I'm glad they were wrong." Fuyutsuki said. "We may still have a chance to defeat them if they can keep this up."

"They've made miracles happen before." Maya said. "They can do it again."

"Sub–Commander, we have a problem!" Aoba reported.

"What could possibly be worse now?" Fuyutsuki asked.

"Dr. Akagi has escaped." Aoba replied. ""

"How could she have escaped from a cell with a solid steel door eight inches thick?"

"When we cut the power, the cell doors automatically unlock." Aoba said. "When the power came back on, it should have locked…"

"But she knew it was only chance, because she knows how this base functions." Fuyutsuki said sullenly. "Have anyone not defending the entrance points to start a search for either Dr. Akagi, the Commander, or Rei."

"Why the Commander?" Aoba asked.

"Because it's them she'd be going after." Fuyutsuki said. "She has never liked Rei, she blames her for her ow personal issues… and the Commander has slighted her in a very personal manner."

"What kind of personal manner?" Hyuga asked.

"The kind slighting that only comes with a jilted and unstable lover…" Fuyutsuki said.

"No fucking way." Aoba said. "She and the Commander were…"

"Lieutenant…" Fuyutsuki said. "Tread carefully."

"…together… I was going to say that." Aoba said as he began contacting the available teams to begin the search.

"Well, that explains a lot." Maya said.

"Yeah, like why she got so pissed off whenever he dismissed her." Hyuga said. "Guess you really can't tell about a person, can you?"

"Well, what about you two?" Maya asked. "I mean, talk about a day of surprises."

"Lieutenant Aoba, have you passed along my orders?" Fuyutsuki asked.

"Not yet, sir." Aoba replied. "Was there anything to add to them?"

"Yes." Fuyutsuki said. "If they find Dr. Akagi, shoot her on sight. She is presumed to be armed and hostile."

"Understood, sir." Aoba replied as he relayed the message.

–––

Asuka was trying her best to stay focused on the battle raging around her. Since taking out the two MPEs with Shinji and Mari's help, they had been unsuccessful in taking down any more. They had kept them busy though, getting some glancing blows on them, but nothing serious enough to earn them another kill. As Unit–01 and Unit–02 ran circles around the group, drawing them within Unit–XP's firing range, Mari would send small bursts from her Gatling guns to weaken their A.T. Fields and maybe do some damage.

"Come on, we're not doing anything!" Asuka shouted. "We need to kill some of these things!"

" _What do you think we've been trying to princess?_ " Mari asked sarcastically. " _Cuddle with them?_ "

"No, but we certainly haven't killed them!" Asuka said angrily.

" _Asuka, we just need to find an opening!_ " Shinji said. " _Just focus on them, ok?_ "

"Are you telling me I should calm down?" Asuka asked.

" _No, I'm not that thick._ " Shinji said. " _Just focus._ "

"Fine!" Asuka said as Unit–02 charged to attack an MPE, only to be blocked by another knocking her out of the way.

"Son of a bitch!" Asuka shouted as she slammed the control yokes. "I'm so fucking tired of this shit! These fucking things need to DIE!"

When Asuka shouted this, her eyes started to turn red and Unit–02 began to shake violently. Its eyes once again glowing the same shade of red as Asuka's. It began to struggle against its jaw restraints, trying to free itself from the bonds imposed on it by man. Finally, after a great effort, the restraints broke, and Unit–02 opened it mouth wide, letting out a mighty roar. " ** _ROOOOAAAAAARRRRRRRRRR!_** " Unit–02 released a shockwave, sending the MPEs around it backwards. Asuka's sync score shot up to 125%, and Asuka was invigorated by the power now surging through her.

"This is awesome!" Asuka shouted. "I can feel the EVA… even more than I did before… like I'm the EVA… and the EVA is me…"

" _Asuka, is everything alright?_ " Shinji asked. " _You're, uh… glowing._ "

"I'm fine, baka." Asuka said. "I'm ready to kill things!"

" _No offence, puppy, but when you get pissed off in the EVA, you kinda look like this._ " Mari quipped. " _It's nice seeing someone else do something important. Kill them all, princess! Make them regret coming here and bugging us!_ "

"Oh, I intend to…" Asuka said through gritted teeth. "Bring it on!" Unit–02 charged two MPEs with reckless abandon, moving much faster than it could before, slamming Smash Hawks into their chests, splitting their Cores on contact, and quickly pulling the Smash Hawks as the pair of them were engulfed in cross shaped explosions. Unit–02 braced against the twin explosions and its A.T. Field flashed, protecting it from harm.

"That's more like it!" Asuka shouted as Unit–02 rounded on another pair. Unit–02 charged at them, only to have their Spears of Longinus, only to dodge them as they flew past, narrowly avoiding them and continuing its charge on the now defenseless MPEs. "Now what are you gonna do!" Asuka shouted as unit–02 made contact again with the Smash Hawks, shattering their Cores on contact, but the this time, the Smash Hawks were trapped in the Cores, and they were vaporized as a result, and Unit–02 narrowly missed being caught in this pair of cross shaped explosions, it's A.T. Field barely able to hold back the blasts from the second set of twin explosions.

"Damn it!" Asuka screamed as Unit–02 waved its arm, flashing her A.T. Field and ripping up the ground in its path as it did. "What the hell…?" Asuka muttered as she tried repeating what she did, only tore up more ground with her A.T. Field. "Oh, that's how I do it… this'll be fun…"

Asuka glared at the other MPEs around her and waived Unit–02 arms fiercely towards them. Instead of cutting them up, she only made their A.T. Fields flare up in defense of the attack, which pissed her off to no end.

"Come on!" Asuka shouted. "Work gottverdammt you! Momma, make it work!"

Unit–02 obliged and ran for the closest MPE. As if out of instinct, the Dummy Plug controlled MPE threw its Spear of Longinus right at Unit–02's head. This time however, instead of dodging it or being hit by it, Unit–02 grabbed it right out of the air and twirled it around in its hand. "Ha, now who's got the upper hand?!" Asuka shouted as Unit–02 took aim with the bident and slammed it right into the MPEs chest with such force that the bident grabbed and ripped the MPE's Core right out of its back, taking its spine and Entry Plug assembly with it. The Core promptly exploded, vaporizing the MPE and the false Spear of Longinus with it. Unit–02's A.T. Field protected it once again, and then Asuka faced the remaining MPEs with a glint of power in her still red, glowing eyes.

" _Wow Asuka, that was amazing!_ " Shinji said happily as Unit–01 parried an attack by an MPE. " _Now what?_ "

"That's seven of you fuckers gone!" Asuka shouted. "Who's next?!"

–––

Rei was still sitting in the Evangelion graveyard. She could hear and feel the battle still raging on around her. It did not concern her however, she felt very safe where she was. It would be nearly impossible for anyone to come down this deep without meeting resistance, and she was far enough away from the balcony that she wouldn't be discovered unless they came looking. However, as Rei was just beginning to relax again, she felt a chill go down her spine almost as if someone she cared about was in trouble.

"Onii–chan…" Rei murmured. "I shouldn't go… I shouldn't get involved… but… my onii–chan… he's always been there for me… it would be selfish if I stayed here and didn't try to help him…" Rei sighed. "But how can I help…I don't have an Evangelion anymore… but I do have…" Rei brought her hand up and cleared her mind, making her A.T. Field appear in front of her. "Perhaps I can use this… like a benevolent Angel…"

Rei stood up and looked around. "This is my path… I will not start instrumentality… but I  _will_  help prevent it."

Rei began walking back to the balcony. As she found herself facing the sheer wall of steel, she began looking for the ladder. As she found the ladder and began her ascent, she felt another shiver down her spine.

"I am no longer alone in this place…" Rei muttered.

When Rei got on the balcony, she walked towards her old room, What Rei now thought of as a dungeon. When she went inside, she found the source of her discomfort. On the floor was Gendo. There was a considerable amount of blood everywhere, coming from a very wounded Gendo, who appeared to have dragged himself down there. He was holding his left hand against his stomach, and had an orange hue emanating from beneath him, very similar to an A.T. Field.

"Oh, it's you." Rei said.

"Rei…" Gendo said weakly. "Help me… I was shot…"

"No… you deserve far worse than that." Rei said coldly.

"That's rather cold… even coming from you, Rei…" Gendo said weakly. "Now please, help me… I need you…"

"Why should I help you? I was just a means to an end for you, it shouldn't be that surprising." Rei said. "Or the fact that you left that sadistic woman in charge of my care… It should have been you… or the Sub–Commander, he at least has some human decency."

"How would you know that?" Gendo asked.

"He created me when his sorrow was deepest." Rei replied. "I may not have been the intended result… but I am forever grateful to him."

"Rei… there is still time…" Gendo said weakly. "We can still bring Yui back…"

"Why should you get what you want?" Rei asked. "You don't deserve to get what you want… evil like yours never deserved happiness."

"Rei… that is… not untrue." Gendo said. "I never deserved happiness… but I was glad to have it…"

"You wasted it." Rei said. "When you lost her you had a son… you abandoned him… and he is a sweet boy, he deserved a better father than you."

"He did… but I am what he received." Gendo said weakly. "He was well cared for by others…"

"But he was emotionally neglected." Rei said. "As I was after my first death… I was left alone… in this room… this dungeon."

"To protect you." Gendo said. "It was all to protect you…"

"From what?" Rei asked. "Human interaction?"

"Yes… it as too dangerous for you to be exposed to emotions I thought you could never understand." Gendo explained. "I thought that you…"

"Couldn't handle it?" Rei said. "I was never given a chance."

"Could I trust that someone not entirely human cold understand humans?" Gendo asked. "I couldn't bear to see you hurt by others… so I isolated you to keep you safe."

"That's utterly ridiculous." Rei replied. "I can handle people just fine."

"No you can't…" Gendo said. "You are separated from them by DNA… you are not like other people."

"I may not be like other people, but I should have been given a chance." Rei said. "I could have still been normal if I was allowed to talk to people."

"Look what talking to people has gotten you, Rei." Gendo coughed. "You're down here hiding away from the world, afraid of your emotions. You've isolated yourself because you are different… which is what I tried to protect you from!"

"I don't need to be protected!" Rei shouted.

"Yes you did." Gendo said. "Why do you think your emotions were suppressed? Why deal with them if you could avoid them?"

"It was you?" Rei asked. "You had that done to me?"

"At Dr. Akagi's suggestion… yes." Gendo said. "It was to help you deal with your brutal death… to be able to cope with it…"

"Because her mother snapped my neck!" Rei shouted. "You can't cope with that! I can still feel as though my neck has been broken! I can feel the fire burning my skin! I can't forget dying twice, it's impossible to forget, and suppressing it doesn't fix the problem, it just makes it worse!"

"Rei… you're being unreasonable…" Gendo muttered. "I only did those things to help you… can't you see that… can't anyone see that?"

"Your motivations are always self–serving." Rei said. "You did those things to me to help yourself, it had nothing to do with me."

"Rei… please…" Gendo pleaded.

"Am I not the only person to disagree with you today?" Rei asked. "I assume that is how you became so… injured."

"How I became injured is of no consequence." Gendo replied. "I just need help… and then we can begin instrumentality…"

"No." Rei said.

"Rei… it's your sole purpose in life now." Gendo said. "You can no longer pilot an Evangelion, but your destiny has always been to help begin Third Impact…"

"Destiny… fate… they are inconsequential. Friendship and doing what you believe to be right is what's most important." Rei explained. "Shinji showed me this through his kindness towards me… he always cared about my well–being, even without knowing me… I owe him so much… and because of him, I see now that the circumstances of one's birth are irrelevant. It is what you do with the gift of life that determines who you are." Rei said sternly. "I will no longer be your pawn, or anyone else's pawn. I am my own person, and I can decide what I want to do for myself. I will not help anyone begin instrumentality. I make my own destiny."

"Rei…" Gendo muttered.

"Oh, how quaint." Ritsuko said from behind her. "The doll thinks it's a real girl…"

–––

Shinji was in trouble. Unit–01 was having trouble keeping up with Asuka's apparent berserk Evangelion… and Shinji was having problems bringing that bout for himself. It usually only happened when things seemed dire, or when he was angry, neither of which was the case at the moment. Shinji simply watched in amazement as Asuka had wiped out five MPEs in short order, with little effort on her part after her Unit–02 had let out its mighty roar.

"No, Asuka, I mean it." Shinji said. "What's next?"

" _We kill them!_ " Asuka replied angrily. " _What else can we do?_ "

" _Kill them faster!_ " Mari said. " _But they've learned… they're avoiding you princess and heading for the puppy!_ "

Shinji looked to see if she was right. They were completely avoiding Unit–XP and its Gatling guns, but also were now avoiding Unit–02 and its frenzied attacks, instead turning their singular focus to Unit–01.

"Oh shit…" Shinji muttered as Unit–01 raised its Sonic Sword. "This isn't going to end well…"

The six remaining MPEs charged at Unit–01, their Spears of Longinus poised to strike. As they got close, one of the MPEs was impaled by two other Spears of Longinus, one went through its head, and the other through its Core, triggering yet another cross shaped explosion. The now five remaining MPEs scattered and moved away from the Evangelions as Unit–02 waived to Shinji.

" _See, was that so hard?_ " Asuka asked.

"Well, it helps when you steal their weapons." Shinji replied. "But thank you all the same."

" _All's fair in love and war, puppy._ " Mari quipped. " _But you may want to pay attention, that distraction didn't last long._ "

Unit–01 turned around to see the five MPEs charging him again.

"Oh boy…" Shinji muttered.

" _Hang on, puppy, I'm coming!_ " Mari said as Unit–XP ejected its power cable and charged towards Unit–01, raising its own mounted spear like a jouster. " _Let's get it on!_ "

" _Four eyes, what the hell are you doing!_ " Asuka shouted.

" _Feeling my awesome sync score, princess!_ " Mari said. " _So shut up and let me have my moment!_ "

As Unit–XP charged on its shoddy wheeled legs, Unit–01 raised its Sonic Sword and braced itself for a heavy assault, which it got. Two of the MPEs leapt at him, thrusting their Spears of Longinus at him, as Shinji parried the twin attack from above, another MPE slammed Unit–01 to the ground, and held it there, snapping and biting at it.

"Get off me!" Shinji shouted.

" _Puppy!_ " Mari screamed as the MPE pinning him down raised its head and saw it's A.T. Field shattered, and then its neck impaled by Unit–XP's spear, tearing it off of Unit–01 as Unit–XP passed overhead much to Shinji's surprise. Unit–XP rolled to a gentle stop, holding its catch aloft in the air, its mouth sputtering blood as it appeared to gasp for air. " _Stop fucking with my friends!_ "

"Mari!" Shinji shouted as he started to ease Unit–01 up, he was slammed by another MPE from the right, knocking his Sonic Sword away, having it skid across the flattened landscape. "Mari, get out of there!"

" _Well, I've come too far for that now…_ " Mari muttered as the three unoccupied MPEs surrounded her and their wounded comrade. " _Shame I missed the Core… but then you would've gotten hurt… so this is really the only way I can help._ "

"Mari, what are you saying?!" Shinji asked as Unit–01 wrestled with the MPE that tackled it. "Just pull out your spear thingy and get out of here!"

" _Afraid I can't do that, Shinji._ " Mari said. " _I fried the motors in the legs on that final charge here, so there isn't anything I can do but sacrifice my EVA for you guys. I'm dead in the water…_ "

" _Four eyes, stop talking out your ass!_ " Asuka shouted as Unit–02 ran towards them. " _This is why you needed to stay out of it! Don't do what Rei did!_ "

" _Oh, don't worry so much._ " Mari joked. " _I can eject…_ " Unit–XP held the injured MPE in the air, causing it to slide further down the spear, which increased in diameter, wounding the MPE even more than it already was. " _But I need to finish off this thing's Core before I do…_ " Unit–XP raised its Gatling guns to the MPE's chest and pressed the barrels against it. " _Eat lead, asshole!_ " Mari screamed as the Gatling guns unleashed a barrage of hot lead, ripping through its chest and out the other side. " _Lock all control inputs and initiate emergency evacuation order Omega–055 on a ten second delay, activate self–destruct in twelve seconds._ " Mari said as the stream of bullets began to fracture the Core.

"Mari!" Shinji screamed. "MARI!"

" _Oh relax, puppy._ " Mari said. " _I'll be just fine._ "

The Entry Plug hatch cover blew itself off and the Entry Plug was fired into the air well away from Unit–XP. However, Mari's short two second delay between escaping and the self–destruct just wasn't long enough. The Entry Plug was caught in the ensuing explosion, just as the MPE's Core breached and created a cross shaped explosion, its shockwave slammed against Mari's Entry Plug, sending it flying off into the distance.

" _WAHHHHHHH!_ " Mari screamed as her communications were cut off.

"No… I let it happen again…" Shinji muttered angrily. "I let my friends get hurt while I sat here and did NOTHING!"

A burst of energy emanated from Unit–01, sending the MPE it was grappling with flying backward. Unit–01's eyes turned dark red and it began to float on in the air and righted itself without having to move. Unit–01 deployed its impressive A.T. Field, ripping the ground apart and beginning the process of turning the sky red. Shinji saw his sync score jump to 150%, he didn't notice his eyes turn red once again, but he could feel his heart pounding in his chest. As he looked towards the three MPEs in front of him, Unit–01 broke its jaw restraints once again and let out a mighty roar. " ** _ROOOOAAAAAARRRRRRRRRR!_** "

"No you're gonna pay!" Shinji roared as Unit–01 charged the three MPEs in front of him, using his right hand as his A.T. Field focused around it, he sent that fist through the first MPE's chest, vaporizing it and its weapon before it could even explode. The other two MPEs began a retreat, but Unit–01 was right on their heels, and leapt on the nearest one, with both of its hands engulfed in A.T. Field energy. It ripped right though the MPE like it was issue paper, and shattered it Core before the MPE had even finished being vaporized.

Shinji turned on the third MPE that was running from him and charged after it

"Here I go!" Shinji cried as Unit–01 leapt on more time. "Take this!" The MPE turned around just in time to see Unit–01's A.T. Field enhanced right hand plunge right at it. The MPE threw its Spear of Longinus at Unit–01, which was knocked aside by Unit–01's left hand. When Unit–01's hand struck the MPE, it sunk through the MPE's head, and slammed into the Core, shattering it and causing another cross shaped explosion that totally engulfed Unit–01 in the process.

" _Shinji!_ " Asuka shouted.

As the blast dissipated, Unit–01 walked out of the cloud of dust and debris completely unscathed. It walked towards the discarded Spear of Longinus and picked it up, gripping it tightly as he turned and looked around for the final MPE.

" _Shinji, you ok?_ " Asuka asked as she noticed the red sky beginning to dissipate.

"Yeah." Shinji replied curtly as Unit–01 focused its gaze on the final MPE. "Found it."

" _Good._ " Asuka said happily. " _So… one left…_ " Asuka said proudly. " _Which of us should go kill it dead…_ "

"You should, Asuka." Shinji said. "It's only fair you finish these assholes off once and for all, considering…" Unit–01 tossed the final Spear of Longinus to Unit–02. "This should help."

" _Thanks baka…_ " Asuka said. " _I'll make sure it regrets fucking with us!_ "

–––

Lilith was still motionless on its cross. She had been strapped there for so long, she had forgotten what leaving the Black Moon was really like. She had not had a reason to care for the outside world for some time, but instead dwelled on the endless cycles she spent hanging here, doing little to nothing but waiting for the inevitable, the coming of Third Impact. However, this time around, Lilith was still intact to feel Unit–01's mighty presence up on the surface.

'How quaint…' Lilith thought. 'I don't believe I've ever been witness to this power. He is awakening the beast within… I want to see that power for myself… I want to take that power as my own…' Lilith tried moving her body only to feel the twinge of pain where her hands were still securely fastened to the cross. 'Perhaps more effort would move these for me…' Lilith drew her hands forward sharply, ripping them free of the retraining bolts and falling into the sea of LCL below her, creating a small tidal wave emanating from where she had made contact.

Lilith slowly and unsteadily got up and looked above her, feeling Unit–01's power radiating downward. 'What would I do with the power when I take it…?' Lilith thought. 'This planet was already made in my image… but perhaps I could break this vicious cycle… I am so tired of being hung like a trophy in their basement.'

Lilith looked at her hands and saw the wounds had already healed. She took her hands and reached u to the mask covering her face and restricting her movement and tore it off, revealing nothing but a blank slate with a small nose and two dots for eyes. She walked through the broken doors that Kaworu had so kindly had removed the week before. She looked up the shaft and could see a speck of light high above her.

'Well…' Lilith thought. 'I've never had to do this myself… but can I still produce one…' Lilith focused and created a small, but powerful A.T. Field and began slowly ascending the shaft. 'I can't do much more than this… but that shouldn't be a problem for long.'

–––

Rei stood there calmly, facing Ritsuko's gun without a look of fear or surprise. She gave her a blank look and disregarded her threatening stance.

"I thought you were in jail." Rei deadpanned.

"It's easy to escape when they cut the power." Ritsuko said. "The doors unlock themselves." Ritsuko looked at the Commander. "Well, at least someone is getting what they deserve." Ritsuko smiled maniacally. "Who beat me to it?"

"Does it matter?" Gendo asked. "I am dying."

"Oh it matters." Ritsuko said. "I want to know who to thank for this sight… this wonderful sight of you getting exactly what you deserve."

"S… Shinji…" Gendo said weakly. "He shot me."

"Well, look at that… the useless lump actually did something right for once…" Ritsuko muttered.

"Don't talk about him like that!" Rei shouted at her. "He is a better person than you could ever hope to be!"

"My, my." Ritsuko said sarcastically. "The doll's having an emotion. Come on doll, are you going to hurt me?"

"I don't need to." Rei said. "You have a self–destructive personality."

"Well, you out of anyone else would know about self–destructing." Ritsuko replied coldly. "But there isn't any way you can stop me."

"I can try." Rei said.

"Go ahead." Ritsuko said. "It won't do anyone any good."

"What are you planning, Akagi?" Gendo asked. "Are you going to shoot us?"

"I don't need to shoot you anymore." Ritsuko said. "I'm satisfied with the job someone already did on you, but her, the doll, I'll make her suffer first… and then I'll destroy this base."

"That is not possible." Rei said. "You do not have that power."

"Oh, but it is possible when your own mother designed the MAGI." Ritsuko said as she reached into her pocket and pulled out a remote. "Melchior, Balthasar, and Casper are the pieces of my mother's great mind… and I know how to manipulate them to do my bidding… and I will have them activate the self–destruct and destroy us all."

"It won't work." Rei said.

"Of course it will, doll." Ritsuko said. "Science is on my side, and there won't be any more lives for you either… I already saw to that. We all get to die together."

"I will not die." Rei said.

"That's what you think." Ritsuko said as she pressed the button on the remote. "Die with me mother… and take this horrific place straight to the depths of hell!"

Ritsuko closed her eyes and waited, but nothing happened.

"What… no… how could this be?" Ritsuko asked as she looked at the remote in horror seeing all three of the MAGI rejected her command. "You cannot deny me, you're only a machine!"

"It is more than that…" Gendo said as she shifted on the ground. "As eternal penance for killing Rei, your mother's soul was trapped in the MAGI, becoming a part of her work, and doing other's bidding… she would never listen to you… she never loved you."

"How dare you…!" Ritsuko screamed as she pointed the gun at Rei. "You cannot…"

BANG

Ritsuko dropped her gun to the floor and fell to her knees with blood slowly starting to pour out of a hole in chest.

"I never loved you." Gendo muttered.

"L… liar…" Ritsuko replied weakly.

Gendo looked over to Rei. "Go, now." Gendo said.

"I did not plan on staying." Rei replied. "There is someone more important who needs my help."

"Who could that possibly be?" Gendo asked.

"Shinji…" Rei said as she stepped over his dying body.

"Ah… he knows about you now." Gendo said. "Do not expect a warm welcome."

"I doubt very much that Shinji cares what my origins are." Rei said. "He is my onii–chan, and I will protect him."

"Rei, please do not leave me…" Gendo said. "I need you…"

"No." Rei said. "Whatever good deeds you could accomplish would not change my mind. You are beyond help and they could never make up for years of neglect towards myself and Shinji."

Rei left without another word as she listened to Gendo's muffled cries. She heard them all the way to the elevator, along with his shouting for her to come back to him and that there was still time. As the doors closed, the noise stopped and Rei breathed a sigh of relief. As the elevator began to ascend, Rei began to feel nervous.

"I hope I'm doing the right thing." Rei said quietly. "No.. I am doing the right thing… this is for onii–chan… no one else…"  
–––

Asuka was overjoyed. She could feel the weight of the false Spear of Longinus in her hand, almost as though she was holding it herself. She sighted the final MPE trying to run away, its wings slowly unfolding from the storage capsule in its back.

"Oh no you don't!" Asuka shouted as Unit–02 began charging the final MPE, spear in hand. The final MPE took to the sky slowly beating its wings to gain altitude, and Unit–02 sped up to try and catch it. As Asuka got near the MPE, Unit–02 leapt into the air and activated its retro rockets blue jests of fire, giving it just enough power to catch the MPE by the leg.

"I've got you now, you fucker." Asuka said proudly as the MPE tried to fly higher into the air, with the extra weight of Unit–02, it was only able to fly very slowly into the air with a very large amount of effort. The MPE then began to try and shake Unit–02 loose, to no avail.

"I'm not letting go that easily!" Asuka shouted. "You'll have to try harder!"

" _Asuka, why didn't you use the damn spear?!_ " Shinji shouted.

"Well, I didn't want to miss!" Asuka shouted at him. "Then it would have gotten away."

" _Stab it now!_ " Shinji said.

"But I'll fall like 1,000 meters." Asuka said. "That would hurt!"

" _Asuka, I promise I'll catch you._ " Shinji said. " _Just end this so we can go find Mari!_ "

"Oh, I forgot about her…" Asuka muttered. "Hold on a sec…"

Unit–02 took aim very carefully and brought the spear back as far as it could, aiming for where she hoped the Core was. "Take this!" Asuka shouted as Unit–02 plunged the Spear of Longinus into the MPE' back, fracturing the Core and setting off a cross shaped explosion, throwing Unit–02 from the explosion.

"Shinji, you better catch me!" Asuka shouted as Unit–02 fell from the sky.

" _I'm right beneath you!_ " Shinji shouted. " _Just hold on!_ "

"I swear to god, baka, if I even ouch the ground, I'm gonna kill you!" Asuka shouted.

" _Asuka, just trust me._ " Shinji replied as unit–02 came flying at Unit–01, with Unit–01 catching her and skidding backwards several feet to absorb the force of the fall.

" _See, you were worried about nothing._ " Shinji joked.

"You could have made it a nicer landing." Asuka said grumpily. "Now put me down, I can walk ya know!"

" _I know Asuka._ " Shinji said as Unit–01 placed Unit–02 on its feet. " _Better?_ "

"Yeah." Asuka said. "So… do you know where Mari went?"

" _No, Asuka, that's why we need to look._ " Shinji said. " _She got caught in the explosion… and…_ "

"Well, Rei survived, I'm sure that moron will be fine." Asuka said.

" _But Asuka, Rei didn't…_ " Shinji caught himself.

"She didn't what, baka?" Asuka asked.

" _She died that day, Asuka._ " Shinji said. " _The Rei we know… isn't Rei…_ "

"Baka, you're not making any sense." Asuka said.

" _Rei is a clone of my mother!_ " Shinji said loudly. " _She died and was put into a new body!_ "

"Wha… are you high or something?" Asuka asked.

" _No, Asuka, I'm not._ " Shinji replied. " _I can explain it better later…_ "

"Shinji, are you ok?" Asuka asked.

" _Yeah, it's just complicated._ " Shinji said. " _She's like my sister… and we don't even know where she is._ "

"We'll find her, Shinji." Asuka said. "Don't worry."

" _But it's what I do best._ " Shinji joked.

"I know, just stop." Asuka said. "Why don't we go and find Mari, then we can all look for Rei together."

" _You think Mari's ok?_ " Shinji asked.

"She's too stubborn to die." Asuka replied. "She'll be fine." Asuka sighed. "So, she shot off in that direction… you go left, I go right."

" _Ok._ " Shinji said. " _What should we do when we find her?_ "

"No idea." Asuka said. "We'll figure it out when we find her."  
–––

The tone in the Command Center was quite elated. After watching the final MPE explode, the room erupted in cheering, and everyone breathed a sigh of relief. So, as Unit–01 and Unit–02 split up, the room calmed down and searched for signs of another incursion from the still present JSSDF.

"Status of defensive positions." Fuyutsuki ordered.

"All entrances are secure with the people we have left, sir." Hyuga reported.

"Fall back defensive positions are set up." Aoba said. "If they're in danger of losing the access point, they're to fall back immediately."

"Excellent." Fuyutsuki said. "Status of our search?"

"No sign of the Commander, Rei, or Dr. Akagi, sir." Maya reported. "The teams are stil looking, but perhaps it would be better if they were to help defend the base."

"Until the JSSDF attack, keep them on the search." Fuyutsuki ordered. "What about out in the Geofront and around the city? Are the air and ground clear of enemy targets?"

"No enemy armor or aircraft are present." Aoba replied. "The JSSDF lost all their aircraft in the attack."

"And based on the explosion of the N2 bombs, there aren't any left in the JSSDF arsenal." Hyuga replied. "At least according to our records."

"Where is Mari?" Fuyutsuki asked. "Do we have any idea of her whereabouts?"

"Well, after her last sync reading of 95.5%, we don't have any data. The Entry Plug stopped transmitting as soon as it ejected." Maya replied. "There's no sign of her emergency transponder, almost like she's disappeared or something."

"Is there any way we can deploy a recovery team to the Geofront?" Fuyutsuki asked. "She may be in need of medical attention."

"I'll see what we can do, sir." Maya said as something caught her attention. "Uh… sir?"

"What is it, Lieutenant?" Fuyutsuki asked.

"Something is floating out of Terminal Dogma." Maya said. "The sensors are down in the shaft… but I am picking up a latent Pattern Orange."

"Direct a sensor down there so we can get a clear reading." Fuyutsuki ordered.

"Understood, sir." Maya replied. "Oh my… sensors are detecting a Pattern Blue… and it matches to a pattern already registered in the system."

"Oh no…" Fuyutsuki muttered. "The Second Angel."

"Correct, sir." Maya replied.

"Inform the pilots of this development." Fuyutsuki said. "Tell them to get ready."

"Understood, sir." Maya replied.

–––

Mari was sitting in her darkened Entry Plug waiting for someone to get her. She was otherwise unscathed, but she was afraid. Her restraints were stuck and she couldn't free herself, so she had to try and keep calm so that she didn't have a panic attack. The darkness kept reminding her of her first jaunt in an Entry Plug, when she was absorbed.

"Don't think about that now…" Mari muttered to herself. "You're not going to get absorbed again… everything's going to be fine… Shinji and Asuka will come get me… I won't be alone for very long…"

Mari looked around the darkened Entry Plug and couldn't see much, but she certainly couldn't see any light, so there weren't any leaks. The LCL was beginning to taste stale though, which meant the life support was offline.

"Oh… that's not good." Mari muttered. "I hope they get here soon, I'd rather not die in here… it wouldn't be very fun…"

Mari leaned back in the seat, which wasn't very easy considering Mari believed the Entry Plug was on its side, as she was leaning against her restraints awkwardly. Mari closed her eyes and breathed in deeply.

"Shame that I had to blow up my Evangelion…" Mari muttered. "It's not like there's any others just lying around to be used…"

Mari felt a dull pounding from outside. She looked up and started screaming. "Hey, I'm in here! I'm in here you guys!"

Mari got jostled as something picked up the Entry Plug.

"Guys, this isn't funny!" Mari shouted. "Just open the fucking hatch, I'm stuck!" Mari felt the Entry Plug shake. "Asuka, I swear to god, I will take a fucking piss in your panty drawer if you don't put me down!"

Mari felt the Entry Plug stop moving as the LCL began to heat up.

"What the fuck…" Mari muttered. "This isn't right… guys?" Mari called out. "Hello?!"

Mari looked in front of her as a figure materialized in front of her from the LCL itself. " _Hello again, Mari._ "

"Oh, fuck no." Mari said. "Not you."

" _But it is me, Mari._ " Lilith replied in her faceless form. " _Didn't you miss me?_ " Lilith's form changed to that of Yui. " _Hmm… this doesn't seem quite right anymore, does it?_ " Lilith's form changed again to that of Rei. " _Oh, much better… I can see the pain on your face already. This will be very enjoyable indeed._ "

"How are you here?!" Mari shouted.

" _Well, now that my proper body is free from the depths of NERV's subterranean complex, I took back my Core, which you so kindly left lying around… and of course, I sensed you all alone in this lovely little tube and thought it would be nice to catch up again… so I absorbed this too… it's been so long since we had a chat… isn't that right, Mari?_ "

"Fuck you!" Mari shouted.

" _Ah… that mouth of yours is still a problem…_ " Lilith replied. " _Well, it appears I'll have to try and correct that… especially if we're to spend eternity together again._ "

"That's not gonna happen you stupid cunt." Mari shouted. "My friends will come and get me this time!"

" _Oh, the ones in those little armored abominations out there?_ " Lilith asked. " _They won't be around much longer…_ "

"If you hurt them, I'll kill you myself." Mari shouted.

" _Oh… it's so cute that you think you can still hurt me._ " Lilith said as she flicked her hand towards Mari. " _It's time to remind you just how wrong you are._ " Lilith closed her hand into a tight fist, and Mari began screaming in agony and writhing in pain. " _Oh how I've missed that sound…_ " Lilith said absentmindedly.

–––

Shinji saw the great white mass ahead of him. After hearing Maya describe the Angel that had been restrained in Terminal Dogma, Shinji was of course worried about it, but when he felt Lilith blast herself from below them, he became even more worried.

"Asuka… did you feel that?" Shinji asked.

" _Of course, baka._ " Asuka replied. " _But what was that?_ "

" _Probably the Angel._ " Maya replied. " _The top of the Terminal Dogma's shaft was just blown off._ "

" _Great… just when we thought we were done…_ " Asuka muttered. " _Will this fucking day ever end?_ "

"Apparently not." Shinji muttered. "I found it though… Lilith…"

" _Shinji, how do you know its name?_ " Maya asked.

"Kaworu… mentioned the name." Shinji said with a pause.

" _So, its name is Lilith?_ " Asuka asked. " _Doesn't matter… let's go kill it._ "

"We can try at least." Shinji said as he saw his Sonic Sword lying on the ground a short distance away. As Unit–01 picked it up, Shinji saw Lilith do the same. Unit–01 stood up and Shinji looked in Lilith's direction, zooming in on what she was picking up. "NO!" Shinji screamed.

" _What now, baka?_ " Asuka asked.

"The Angel… she's got Mari!" Shinji shouted as Unit–01 ran towards Lilith. "She absorbed her Entry Plug and the Core!"

" _What!?_ " Asuka shouted.

" _Shinji, this is Sub–Commander Fuyutsuki._ " Fuyutsuki announced. " _Do not engage Lilith._ "

"Why not?" Shinji asked.

" _If you engage her in that state, you could begin instrumentality._ " Fuyutsuki said. " _Do not engage Shinji, and the same goes for you, Asuka… we cannot risk it._ "

" _What the fuck is instrumentality?_ " Asuka asked.

"Nothing good." Shinji said. "So what do we do?"

" _Keep it occupied, but do not make contact._ " Fuyutsuki ordered. " _It's the only way._ "

" _Fine, we'll do our best._ " Asuka said. " _Shinji, let's try and contain that thing._ "

"Right…" Shinji said. "Hold on Mari… we'll save you."

Lilith lifted herself off the ground and floated towards Unit–01. As it got close, she raised her right hand and sent Unit–01 flying backwards, and slammed Shinji into the ground.

As Shinji shook his head after the impact, he looked up to see Lilith standing over him and felt a kick to his gut, sending him rolling across the ground. "This is going to be tougher than we thought…" Shinji muttered.

" _Don't you hit my baka!_ " Asuka screamed as Shinji saw Unit–02 body slam Lilith away from him. But before Asuka could follow up her attack, she too was flung across away from Lilith, and slammed into the ground.

"Asuka!" Shinji shouted.

" _What, I'm fine. Don't worry about it._ " Asuka replied. " _But you're right… this one's gonna be tough…_ "

–––

Rei could feel the battle raging on the surface of the Geofront. Her connection to Lilith let her feel what was happening. As she got closer, she could see flashes of the battle. She saw Unit–01 and Unit–02 getting flung around like ragdolls, unable to get very close before being flung back. She also kept seeing flashes of Mari writhing in pain, screaming for help.

"I must hurry…" Rei muttered. "They are all in grave danger."

Rei began running until she found an access hatch to the Geofront and used her A.T. Field to rip it off its hinges, flinging it out of her way.

"I do not have time to waste…" Rei muttered as she ran up the stairs to a blocked passageway. She raised her hands and closed her eyes. "I said I do not have time for this…" Her A.T. Field flared up again and blew the debris out of her way, exposing the Geofront to her. Rei walked up out of the hole and looked around at the now barren landscape. All that was left of the once beautiful Geofront was the remains of NERV's pyramid, some of the sculpted hills, and three figures in the distance.

"There you are…" Rei said. "Onii–chan…"

As Rei began moving, she saw the two figures she assumed were Unit–01 and Unit–02 charge the third, Lilith, together. As they got close, Rei felt Lilith's A.T. Field form.

"Watch out!" Rei screamed.

She saw as her friends and their Evangelions get thrown towards her. Rei raised her won A.T. Field and caught her friends before they slammed into the ground. She lowered them gently down and watched as Lilith approached them.

" _Rei?_ " Shinji asked through Unit–01's external speakers.

" _What, what?_ " Asuka shouted using the same.

"Get out of here." Rei said. "I will handle this."

" _Listen wundergirl… you may have hit your head… but you can't take on an Angel!_ " Asuka said. " _Not without an Evangelion._ "

"I will be fine." Rei replied as the two Evangelions got up, with Unit–01 using the Sonic Sword still gripped in its hands. "I can handle this myself."

As Lilith stood in front of the Evangelions, its faceless form looked down on Rei and reached out her hands. Rei raised her own AT. Field and blocked Lilith from grabbing her.

"Stay away from my friends!" Rei said as he A.T. Field lifted Lilith into the air and restrained her.

" _Rei, what are you doing?_ " Shinji asked.

"Saving Mari." Rei replied. Rei pushed one of her hands outward and blew out Lilith's chest cavity, ripping Mari's Entry Plug was from Lilith's body, sending it flying backwards, with the Core trailing not too far behind it. As Lilith writhing in pain, Rei slammed her into the ground, creating a small crater in the process. Rei then lifted Lilith back into the air and repeatedly slammed her into the ground until she got tired from exerting herself. Rei slowly picked herself up from the ground and looked over at Lilith's unconscious form. She watched as Lilith pulled herself up the same way Rei did and loomed over them.

"She is powerful…" Rei muttered. "But I will not give up."

Lilith reached out to grab Rei, and Rei tried to block it using her A.T. Field, but it would not form and Rei collapsed once again from exhaustion.

" _No!_ " Shinji shouted as Unit–01 cut off the arm reaching for Rei with its Sonic Sword which, despite his efforts, still continued towards Rei and fell on top of her.

"I… have failed…" Rei muttered as Lilith's disembodied hand began to absorb her. "I tried so hard to stop this from happening… yet it has begun anyway. I am sorry… onii–chan…"

As Rei was absorbed into Lilith's hand, it began to morph into a pile of goo and shot back toward Lilith's body. Lilith's body then began to reform, with her chest cavity filling itself back in, and then began to change shape into what looked like a Giant Naked Rei just slightly taller than an Evangelion. It loomed over Unit–01 and Unit–02 and stared directly into Unit–01's eyes.

" _What the hell is that…?_ " Shinji muttered. " _Rei… REI!_ " Shinji screamed as Unit–01 and Unit–02 charged Lilith, only for Unit–02 to get thrown back and Unit–01 to get stopped midstride, and held in place by Lilith's reformed A.T. Field.

"Onii–chan…" Lilith said in a booming voice. "Join me…"

" _No!_ " Shinji shouted.

Lilith reached out towards Unit–01 and grabbed it around the middle, and began to absorb Unit–01. Unit–01 tried to get away, but Lilith was too fast. Unit–01 struggled against her grip, but it was too late. Unit–01 was drawn into Lilith, and they merged with Lilith literally enveloping Unit–01 in a hug, tapping into its S2 Engine, and culminated in a massive, red, cross shaped explosion that turned the sky blood red and broke apart and cascaded into a massive tidal wave of energy and LCL, leaving the Lilith and Unit–01 standing there in their forced embrace as instrumentality began around them.

To Be Continued

* * *

A/N: I do not own Evangelion or any of the characters, GAINAX and the other distributors of NGE related material do. I am simply using them as a backdrop for my fanfic.

Sync Score Rankings!  
Shinji – 150.0% (+50.0%)  
Asuka – 125.0% (+25.4%)  
Mari – 95.5% (+10.0%)  
Rei – 20.0% (No Change)

Firstly, the title does refer to instrumentality, which, even though it's been avoided like the plague, has inevitably begun because it is unavoidable.

Secondly, Rei. She has repeated the same line twice now, a line that fits her so perfectly, it may as well have been written for her. But it wasn't. The quote " _I see now that the circumstances of one's birth are irrelevant. It is what you do with the gift of life that determines who you are._ " was spoken in  _Pokémon: The First Movie_  by Mewtwo. Rei said it once in passing to herself in Chapter 6, but this time, she says it to a wounded Gendo, and is basically telling him she's free from his plans, choosing her own path by making her own decisions. This line also ties into the dolls Shinji and Rei have, Shinji's Mewtwo, and Rei's Mew, further showing the odd brother/sister relationship the two have, similar to Mew and Mewtwo's own strange sibling relationship. Also with Rei, she hasn't just been sitting in the dark for the past few days, she's been training to use her power. Learning slowly how to manipulate her A.T. Field just to see if she could do it. So, when he attacks Lilith, she uses her newfound control to take what's in Lilith out, but ends up being absorbed into the whole, kick starting what was simply a plan to help save her friends. Rei is also able to take on Lilith because she is not weakened from years of being tied to a bunch of ancient warding meant to drain her power, and with her emotions in check and focused, unlike Lilith's fractured soul, Rei has the advantage.

Finally, the final battle between the MPEs and the three, then two Evangelions. After the incident with Bardiel, Ritsuko created an inhibitor program to control the Dummy System better. Because Fuyutsuki cut the program and Unit–01 fried the Rei based system it was never implemented at NERV. But seeing as Ritsuko was an agent of SEELE, they ended up with the technology and implemented it on the MPEs. However, seeing as they were faced with more resistance than they originally assumed, they shut off the inhibitors, allowing the MPEs to become stronger. But they are finally gone and they aren't coming back, that much I can promise you.

As I said before, and will always say at the end of chapter, please leave comments, as I would like to try to improve the story going forward any way I can. And, hell, constructive criticism is a good thing.

* * *

つづく


	11. I Reject

Neon Genesis Evangelion: Legacy  
Episode VI: Return of Reality

* * *

Chapter 11 – I Reject  
December 31, 2016 – Tokyo–2, Emergency Evacuation Center

It was late afternoon in Tokyo–2 and the evacuation center was buzzing. Since early that morning, reports had come in of a massive movement of JSSDF soldiers and weapons heading towards Tokyo–3. No reason had been given for the rumors, and the movement of so many troops brought those who were old enough to have heard stories of Imperial Japan from their grandparents were worried about what that kind of deployment could mean. What made it worse was that after the news stations had reported on it, even though most of them had only made a small note if it, all the news stations in the country had gone dark, and the phone lines went dead, almost as though the government were trying to hide everything that was happening in Tokyo–3.

However, several NERV technicians stationed around the city in various evacuation centers decided to circumvent the government blackout on the news and hacked directly into the available NERV satellite feeds, giving them a wide angle view above and around Tokyo– of these centers happened to be where Toji and the others were staying.

Toji, out of sheer curiosity followed his sister, girlfriend, and best friend down to see what the commotion was. When they got there, a small crowd had gathered in the cafeteria, sitting and watching the television in awe. The AIS was firing on the invading JSSDF fighters and bombers, the attack had just begun and had yet to take a turn for the worse.

"Holy shit." Kensuke muttered. "That looks so cool from above."

"Kensuke, our friends are there." Sakura said admonishingly.

"Yeah, man, don't be an ass about it." Toji said. "They look like they're in real danger."

"When aren't they in real danger?" Hikari asked.

"Fair point… but why do they need so many bombers." Toji said. "That city can take a beating like crazy."

"Yeah, but can it stand up to…" Kensuke paused. "They're gonna nuke the city…"

"Are you… are you sure?" Hikari asked.

"Yeah… that's the only thing those damn things carry." Kensuke said. "And I'm counting… 75… damn…"

"Isn't that like… overkill?" Toji asked as they watched the planes quickly pull away from Tokyo–3 and watched as the N2 bombs went off in tandem as the image was whited out from the sheer destructive force of the blast. It took several minutes for the blast to dissipate, and rather expectedly, the city had been completely vaporized.

"Holy shit… they actually did that…" Hikari muttered.

"Our home…" Kensuke murmured.

"Fucking cowards!" Toji shouted at the TV, startling everyone in the room. "Too scared to fight the Evangelions, right?! Bunch a pussies!"

"Toji, relax…" Hikari said in a hushed voice. "You're scaring people…"

"I don't care about that!" Toji said loudly. "Did you see what they just did? They wiped out our home, and our friends are stuck there defending something that doesn't exist anymore! It's fucking bullshit!"

"But look at the Geofront…" Sakura said. "It's so beautiful."

"Sakura…" Toji began.

"Leave it alone, Toji." Hikari said as she saw splashes on the lake's surface. "Hey, Kensuke, why are they attacking the lake?"

"No idea…" Kensuke said. "Maybe there's a weapon or something in there."

They watched as the assault on the lake intensified. Then they saw what the JSSDF was firing on, Unit–02. They watched as Unit–02 emerged from the water and dodge a barrage of weapons fire by diving back into the lake.

"So they were firing at Asuka!" Sakura shouted. "I mean, the red one is hers right?"

"Yeah, it's hers…" Hikari said. "But she said she couldn't pilot… so she must be better now…"

"You mean with Shinji?" Kensuke asked.

"Do you think they made up?" Toji asked.

"Well…" Hikari replied as she gasped when the cruiser came out of the water and was set ablaze by another barrage of weapons fire.

"Holy shit…" Kensuke said as the cruiser was flung towards the shore and destroyed the JSSDF's assembled weapons, leaving only Unit–02 standing in the lake.

"Go Asuka!" Toji shouted. "Give 'em all hell!"

"She'll have her chance." Kensuke said. "They're dropping tanks in…"

"And they have those weird flying things." Sakura said.

"VTOLs." Kensuke replied.

"Think she can take them all?" Hikari asked.

"Probably…" Kensuke said as he pointed at the TV where Unit–02 was decimating them. "There's your answer."

They all watched as Asuka made short work of the VTOLs, but then they noticed the new flying wings that were deploying something new to the battlefield.

"What are those things?" Hikari asked.

"They look like Evangelions…" Kensuke said.

"And they're surrounding Asuka." Toji said angrily. "Thirteen to one is bullshit!"

"I don't think that'll be a problem." Sakura said as they watched Unit–02 rip the MPEs apart in under five minutes. There was a lot of cheering from everyone, most of all Toji, who cheered the loudest, watched as Unit–02 shut down from the lack of power just after the last MPE fell to the ground.

"Well, looks like the show is over now." Toji said.

"Damn, she's amazing…" Sakura said. "Look what she did…"

"Yeah, they're down for the count." Kensuke said happily.

"But it looks like we're never going home again…" Hikari muttered. "The city's gone…"

"Yeah, but we'll still be together, wont we?" Sakura asked.

"I don't know, sis." Toji said. "I mean our pops works for NERV, and Kensuke's dad does some shit for them, and so does Hikari's… they could go anywhere in the world now… which means we might not be together anymore…" Toji enveloped Hikari in a hug. "Don't worry about it so much babe… we'll figure things out when it comes to it… ok?"

"Y… yeah…" Hikari mumbled.

"Holy shit… how are they getting back up?!" Kensuke shouted. "That shouldn't even be possible!"

"What?!" Toji shouted in Hikari's ear as he looked at the TV. "No fucking way!"

"Wait… they're gonna attack her?" Sakura asked. "But she's not moving."

"Doesn't matter." Kensuke said. "They're… they're monsters."

They watched helplessly as the MPEs got up and moved towards Unit–02. Unit–02 rose slowly, almost as though it was having trouble moving. They saw the spears get thrown at it, and Asuka's A.T. Field hold the spears back, even if it was only for a moment.

"Look, another Evangelion!" Sakura shouted.

"Shinji hurry up!" Toji shouted. "Damn it Shinji, help Asuka!"

Sakura screamed in horror as they watched Unit–02 get ripped apart by the thirteen spears. Shinji was just too late to do anything to help her. The people in the room were completely caught off guard. Some threw up, others passed out, and several left the room crying, unable to bear witness to what was happening any longer. They watched as Unit–01 ran to Unit–02, knocking the MPEs back to the ground with what looked like a massive shockwave. As Unit–01 cradled Unit–02 in its arms, the room fell silent. Even those that did not know who exactly was inside those Evangelions, they knew someone had died.

"No…" Sakura sobbed. "Poor Shinji… he had to… he had to watch…"

"What took him so long…?" Hikari muttered. "He should have been there for her…"

"Hey, we don't know what held him up." Toji said angrily. "He'd never abandon her, I bet it was those soldiers. Maybe he was stuck and couldn't get to her."

"Guys, stop." Kensuke said as he saw Mari's Unit–XP appear on the field.

"He abandoned her for Kaworu!" Hikari said. "He's been fucking up a lot, and then… he just watched her die in there!"

"She can't be dead!" Toji said loudly. "I survived and Rei survived! She's not dead! Asuka's too damn stubborn to die!"

"Guys, seriously, look!" Kensuke shouted. "Unit–01 and Unit–02… They're engulfed in a purple light!"

They all looked back at the TV and saw what was happening. Unit–02 began to heal, its wounds disappearing, its armor repairing itself. They saw Unit–02 stir in Unit–01's arms and get back to its feet.

"See, she's alive!" Toji said happily. "I told you she was too damn stubborn to die!"

"Yeah… but, look." Sakura said. "Those monsters look like they're still alive."

"But… how?" Toji asked.

"Who cares?" Kensuke said. "They're all ok… and three of them are out there."

"Who else is there?" Hikari asked. "I didn't see…"

"You were too busy arguing with Toji to notice." Kensuke replied. "I'm pretty sure its Mari… I mean… Rei's Evangelion…"

"Blew up." Toji finished.

"Thirteen versus three isn't exactly fair odds either." Sakura said disappointedly.

"Yeah, but those three together can handle anything." Hikari said. "They made miracles happen before."

"Let's just hope they have one more in them…" Toji said.

They watched as their three friends fought the enemy one more time. It didn't look like they were going to win, it had been an hour since the three of them had begun fighting, making little headway beyond keeping the MPEs occupied, and trying to avoid the same spears that had ripped Unit–02 apart. Then, finally, it all began to turn around when they saw Unit–02 disappear from view and reappear above the Geofront. Unit–02 leapt down and surprised two MPEs, and then Unit–01 and Unit–02 ripped the two of them apart, causing them to explode.

"Damn." Kensuke said. "They exploded."

"I wonder if they can keep this up." Hikari muttered. "They've been fighting a lot the past few hours… that takes a lot of concentration."

Finally, after almost another hour of a stalemate between the two sides, Asuka's Evangelion looked like it was angry. It began moving very fast, and it cut down two MPEs, then another two, and a fifth, all in under two minutes. Each of them exploded as spectacularly as the first two, all to a room cheering loudly.

"Kill 'em all!" Toji shouted. "Send them straight to hell!"

"Toji, relax." Hikari said. "They know what they're doing."

Unit–02 moved towards another MPE and threw two discarded spears through it, causing it to also explode brilliantly. During that distraction, the other MPEs charged Unit–01, with one pinning Unit–01 to the ground.

"NO!" Hikari shouted. "Shinji, get up!"

"Wait, Mari's on the move!" Kensuke said happily as Unit–XP charged the MPE pinning Unit–01 down. It impaled the MPE at high speed, ripping it away from Unit–01. Everyone then watched in horror as Unit–XP decided to execute the MPE at close range. They saw something shoot out its back, but that was engulfed in an explosion, and sent careening off. Unit–01 stood up and moved furiously towards a trio of MPEs. In its apparent anger, the image coming through went red as Unit–01 brutally killed thee MPEs, leaving only one beyond. Unit–01 tossed Unit–02 a spear, and as the one tried to run and fly away, it was caught by Unit–02 and killed in midair.

"Yeah!" Toji shouted. "That was fucking awesome!"

"They're definitely gone this time!" Sakura said happily.

"Yeah, but what about Mari?" Hikari asked. "Her Evangelion exploded."

"I think she ejected." Kensuke said. "She's not dumb… she just did it to kill one."

"But she could have done more." Sakura said. "Right?"

"Not really her Evangelion wasn't in the best shape, remember her complaining a few weeks ago?" Kensuke explained. "It probably broke down or something from the damage."

"What's that?!" Hikari shouted as something came out of the ground. "Is it another Evangelion?"

"No… it looks like another Angel." Kensuke muttered.

"God, I hope they can kill this thing." Toji muttered.

"I don't think that's going to happen…" Sakura said as Unit–01 and Unit–02 were thrown backwards by Lilith, but then their fall was stopped by something they couldn't see.

"What the hell…?" Hikari muttered.

They watched as Lilith's chest was ripped out and then saw her get thrown around against the ground until then suddenly it stopped. They watched as Lilith got back up and reached towards the ground, only to have her arm cut off and fall uselessly to the ground, and then it all happened so fast, no one really knew what to make of it. All they could see now was a load of orange liquid washing over everything and then nothing. The feed hadn't gone dead, but it had been blocked by a large red flash.

"What the hell was that…?" Hikari asked.

"I don't know…" Toji replied as the room shook violently.

"Now what?!" Hikari said loudly. "What's going on now?!"

From the view the windows had, everyone could see quite clearly what was going on. The sky had turned a dark shade of red, almost like blood. Clouds had rolled in, and a torrential downpour had begun. Lightning in a frequency of occurrence that no one had ever seen before kept striking the tall buildings. The ground shook again almost as though the ground itself wanted to rip itself apart.

"It's almost like it's the end of the world…" Kensuke muttered.

"Is this because of that?" Sakura said as she pointed to the red screened TV.

"I don't know." Toji said. "I just hope those guys can fix it before we're all in trouble."

–––

Asuka watched in horror as Unit–01 was enveloped partially by Lilith's body. Unit–02 ran towards them, but was knocked back by an invisible barrier, most likely an A.T. Field.

"Shinji!" Asuka screamed. "SHINJI!"

She didn't even see Rei get absorbed, but was even more disturbed when Lilith took on the visage of Rei before exploding into a giant cross and cascading LCL over the entire Geofront. Asuka felt the rush of LCL hit Unit–02, and then she felt herself become very weak.

"What's going on…?" Asuka muttered. "Why am I disappearing?"

Asuka watched as her arms and legs slowly dissolved into nothingness before she then ceased being, dissolving completely into the LCL around her.

–––

One moment Mari was writhing in pain, watching as Lilith laughed mercilessly at her pain and suffering, and then the next, Mari didn't feel any more excruciating pain. Just that she was flying through the, and once again, slamming into the ground.

"What the hell was that?!" Mari shouted at the Entry Plug. "Not that I'm glad that's over."

Mari then felt a rush of liquid go over the Entry Plug. She felt the Entry Plug roll under the pressure of as the liquid passed over, sending Mari into another dizzy spin.

"Fucking hell!" Mari said as she felt a sickening, and familiar sensation creeping up her legs and arms.

"No…" Mari cried. "Not again… I can't do that again!" Mari screamed as her limbs disappeared in front of her eyes. "I don't want to go back into the Core! I never want to go back there again!"

Mari saw as her body begin to dissolve, almost as though it were being erased, and her feeling was leaving her body as it did, and then before she could even scream out for help, she simply ceased to be.

–––

In the Command Center, no one knew what to do. They saw what Lilith had done, and much to Fuyutsuki's horror, he knew Instrumentality had been set in motion. He looked on as the energy wave that had shot penetrated the through the Command Center, and was followed by a deep sense of foreboding. Hundreds of wisps of energy, floating in midair hung in the room. They hung in the air for several moments before splitting apart and going towards the individuals sitting about the Command Center, and, as if drawn to human life, the wisps moved towards everyone in the room.

"My god… it's actually happening." Fuyutsuki muttered as he saw one of the wisps fly towards him and morph into Yui Ikari. "Ah… Yui… you would be the one to guide me to this new and uncertain place…" Yui embraced Fuyutsuki, and he dissolved instantly, ceasing to be.

The next people they went after were in a tight embrace as they approached. Aoba and Hyuga held each other as several wisps surrounded them, looking deep into each other's eyes. The wisps didn't change for them as they approached.

"So… is this it?" Aoba asked as the wisps surrounded them.

"I don't really care." Hyuga replied. "Just as long as my last moments are with you."

As they kissed one last time, the wisps hit them, and dissolved them into nothing.

Finally, Maya, after seeing everyone in the room disappear before her very eyes was the last one that was still in the room. She saw three wisps approach her and stop before they made their final charge.

"What… what are you?" Maya asked as the wisps took the shape of her girlfriend, Kotomi. "No… it can't be you." Maya muttered. "I'm just hallucinating… that's all."

The wisp–Kotomi moved towards Maya, Maya stood still and looked into its eyes. "I know you may not be her… but whatever's going to happen, I'm glad this is the last thing I see…"

Then just as suddenly as everyone else in the immediate vicinity, Maya ceased to be.

–––

Gendo still lay dying on the ground in Rei's old room. He could hear Ritsuko on the ground next to him, going through her own death throws. As he began to feel cold, and could feel his impending death come down upon him, he felt a warmth above him. It took all that was left of his strength to look up and see what it was.

" _Hello, Gendo._ " Yui said. " _I see you've been causing trouble again._ "

"It is the natural order of things, Yui." Gendo replied.

" _I know what you said to Shinji._ " Yui said. " _Did you want him to shoot you?_ "

"It was all in the plan…" Gendo muttered.

" _Gendo you can't lie to me._ " Yui said. " _You did not plan for Shinji to do anything_ but _listen to your orders… ad he defied you… although it was extreme, it was not unexpected that he wouldn't listen to you, you must know that._ "

"I chose to ignore it." Gendo said. "Much to my own demise it seems. I only saw you at the end of this long and winding road."

" _You idiot._ " Yui said. " _I've been here the whole time… I am Unit–01, and Unit–01 is me. You didn't need to bring me back. You could have prevented this._ "

"How?" Gendo asked.

" _By simply putting your energy towards finding a way to stop all this._ " Yui explained. " _By focusing your energy on something other than me. All this could have been avoided…_ " Yui paused. " _But I must admit, you do deserve at least some of this… I mean, the doctors Akagi?_ " Yui asked. " _Neither of them were very pretty, or extraordinary brilliant… what did you see in them?_ "

"Nothing…" Gendo muttered. "I simply could not be alone… and no one would really measure up to you… they just happened to be there."

" _Convenience always worked so well for you, didn't it, dear?_ " Yui asked.

"Everything in my life was a convenience." Gendo said. "Except for you, Yui. You were always too good for me."

" _That may be the case, but at one point, I did love you._ " Yui said. " _And that's all that mattered to me… and no the product of our love, the one you've neglected for so long, has the fate of this world resting on his shoulders._ "

"He will end this world…" Gendo said. "And it deserves nothing less."

" _If you truly believe that, you do not know our son._ " Yui said. " _He has more hope in him than most people would dare to have after the life he's lived… and he is defiant like you are._ " Yui smiled. " _He will save the world to spite you if he has to… because he no longer seeks your approval._ "

"You may be right…" Gendo muttered. "May I ask one thing, Yui?"

" _What?_ " Yui asked.

"Why… out of all the people in the world, did you choose a retch like me to love?" Gendo asked. "Was I truly worth it?"

" _Yes Gendo, you were._ " Yui said. " _What you did that day on the cafeteria all those years ago… it was so genially kind, I knew there was good in you somewhere…_ "

"You brought the good out in me, Yui." Gendo said. "Without you, I am not worthy of life… I have brought such pain onto others…"

" _But that pain is almost over._ " Yui said calmly. " _It's almost time, Gendo._ "

"I know…" Gendo murmured softly as he looked at Yui one last time. "Thank you, Yui, for staying until the end…"

" _You may have turned evil, but I couldn't let you die alone…_ " Yui muttered as Gendo slipped away and Yui looked upwards. " _Now, Shinji, it's all up to you. Remember your promise to me._ "

–––

The Prime Minister of Japan was still sitting at his desk. However, he was no longer able to enjoy his tea because the building was shaking far too much to leave a cup lying about. He looked out his window and saw the sky had turned dark a cloudy, with a blood red glow peeking through the clouds. Several lightning strikes had already hit the government offices, including the Prime Minister's office windows. Rain continued to pound against the windows, and as the Prime minister looked around, he saw one of his cabinet ministers, the Minister of Defense walk nervously into his office.

"This is unacceptable, Minster Noa." The Prime Minister said. "General Hitsugaya has not been in contact for several hours. Where is my status report?!"

"Sir, there is far more going on that simply needing a status report." Minister Noa replied. "No one is able to communicate with the former site of Tokyo–3."

"Is that right?" The Prime Minister asked as he slammed his fist on his desk. "Why am I only being informed of this now?!"

"Sir, it is a new development, and we needed to gain an understanding of what was really going on here." Minister Noa replied. "Tokyo–3 has been enveloped by… an anomaly."

"What kind of anomaly?" The Prime Minister asked. "Like the last time?"

"No sir, this is something different." Minister Noa replied. "We cannot cross over the border of this sphere of influence. When touched, a person is completely dissolved, leaving a puddle and their clothes behind."

"This is very serious, Minister." The Prime Minister said gravely. "But why is this a concern of mine? It appears to have taken out Tokyo–3 in a way we never could. I tis completely inaccessible to the outside world."

"Yes, but sir, we  _are_  in danger." Minister Noa replied. "The sphere, or rather, the dome, is expanding at a steady rate. We've measured that since it appeared an hour ago, it has expanded to a 50km radius from the epicenter."

"What does the mean for us?" The Prime Minister asked.

"Within two ours it will be large enough to encompass Tokyo–2 in its entirety." Minister Noa replied. "There is nothing we can do to stop it."

"Then prepare to evacuate all government officials and the royal family from the city." The Prime Minister said. "We must leave within the next 90 minutes."

"Sir, where what about the civilians?" Minister Noa asked.

"Leave them behind. There simply isn't enough time to get them all to safety. It is better that they don't know what's coming." The Prime Minister said. "There's nothing we can do for them anyway… and those from Tokyo–3 will rightly suffer the fate they assumed was avoidable."

"Sir, I must protest!" Minister Noa replied.

"It will be noted." The Prime Minister said. "Now carry out my orders and inform Hokkaido that the government will be operating from there for the foreseeable future."

"Sir, I still must protest that an emergency declaration be made…" Minister Noa began.

"I do not care about your protestations and proselytizing!" The Prime Minister shouted. "My decision is final! Now carry out my orders, or I will find someone who will!"

"Yes, sir." Minister Noa said as he turned and left.

As the door closed, the Prime Minister relaxed. "It appears the Committee has begun its bid to rule the world… I'm just surprised that its going as slow as it is." The Prime Minister laughed. "Soon enough, I won't have to worry about insubordination anymore, there won't be anyone making any decisions for themselves left!"  
–––

Shinji was in a sea of light. He couldn't feel anything but pure bliss. Everywhere he looked, there was light and warmth, almost like a perfect, utopian world. He didn't care that he wasn't wearing clothes, almost as if it didn't matter anymore. He couldn't see anything specific, just a blank, white, nothingness stretching out in every direction.

"Where am I?" Shinji asked himself, hearing his voice echo all around him to infinity. "Hello?" Shinji called out. "Is anyone there?"

" _Shinji?_ " Someone called back, a voice Shinji knew.

"Mari?" Shinji called back as he turned around, looking for the source of her voice.

" _Shinji, where are you?!_ " Mari called in what sounded like a panic.

"I'm here, Mari." Shinji called as he started walking around, where he finally found Mari, naked and lying on the ground in the fetal position.

" _Shinji, I'm scared!_ " Mari shouted. " _Where are we?!_ "

"I don't know, Mari." Shinji said. "Why are you so scared? It's so peaceful here."

" _Shinji, this is where I was tortured for almost eighteen years… this abyss… I can't do it again…_ " Mari explained. " _I don't want to be here anymore… Shinji… take me away from here… I want to go home._ "

"Mari, just relax." Shinji said. "It'll be ok… I'm here…"

" _But I can't see you._ " Mari said. " _I can't see anything…_ "

Shinji reached down to touch Mari. "Mari, I'm right…" Shinji said as his hand passed through her shoulder. "…here…"

" _Shinji… please don't leave me…_ " Mari sobbed. " _I can't be alone… it's too scary._ "

Before Shinji could respond, Mari disappeared, leaving Shinji alone once again.

"What the hell was that?" Shinji asked. "She was so afraid…"

"What the hell was that?" Shinji asked. "She was so afraid… why was she so afraid?" Shinji wandered around the nothingness asking himself that. "Is there really any reason to be afraid like that in a place like this? I feel so at ease. I don't think I've ever felt this at ease before… it's weird."

Shinji walked around some more, looking for any signs of life. Even though there were no landmarks or anything to say how far he walked, he didn't care, it simply didn't matter. Then he saw Asuka appear out of the nothingness.

" _Baka…_ " Shinji heard. " _Why are we here?_ "

"Asuka!" Shinji said happily.

" _Shinji… why are we like this?_ " Asuka asked. " _Why does everything fall apart? Why does everything have to be this way? Why can't I just be good enough for you._ "

"Asuka, you're perfect just the way you are." Shinji said.

" _But I'm not!_ " Asuka protested. " _I always second guess you, I always make you feel like an idiot, and I'm not that good of person…_ " Asuka trailed off. " _I don't deserve you…_ "

"Asuka, there's nothing wrong with you." Shinji said kindly. "I love you, that's all that really matters. Anything else is just noise…"

" _That makes you a better person than me, baka…_ " Asuka said. " _My pet name for you is even mean… I don't deserve to be happy… especially with someone like you._ "

Shinji walked over to Asuka and tried to embrace her, but his hands passed right through her. "Asuka, you're perfect for me. You always tell me what I need to hear, even if I don't want to hear it… and I am stupid sometimes… I'm your baka…"

Asuka turned and walked away from Shinji, back into the abyss. " _I don't deserve you, baka… I don't deserve anything…_ "

"Asuka, wait!" Shinji shouted as he ran after her disappearing form. "Asuka, don't go!"

Asuka disappeared from site, not unlike Mari's previous disappearing act. Shinji stopped where he was and scratched his head. "Why would she say that?" Shinji asked himself. "Why would she say all that and just disappear… she's not like that…" Shinji paused. "She's always so confident, and she's perfect… I'm usually the one that sounds like that." Shinji sighed. "Hearing it now, it sounds really stupid…" Shinji chuckled. "Asuka's right… I really am an idiot."

Shinji wandered around more, but didn't have to wander long before he ran into someone else, Misato.

"Misato!" Shinji said happily. "You're ok!"

" _Shinji… what should I do…_ " Misato muttered. " _I want to look for Kaji… but I don't want to know if he's dead… it's just not fair…_ " Misato looked towards Shinji. " _Shinji, I need your help, what should I do?_ "

"I…" Shinji began.

" _You should shut up about it and figure it out for yourself!_ " Gendo shouted from behind Shinji. " _You can never do anything right!_ "

" _It's too hard to make up my mind…_ " Misato said. " _What… what if I make the wrong choice? I can't go back and change it if I do… I just don't want to make a mistake again…_ "

" _It doesn't matter if you make a mistake, just make a decision and live with it!_ " Gendo roared as Misato started crying. " _Grow up and keep up your damn mind._ "

"Stop yelling at Misato! She never did anything to you, she never did anything to anyone!" Shinji shouted at his father. "You shouldn't even be here! You should be dead!"

Gendo staggered backwards as Misato started crying and dropped to the ground, covering the white abyss with a sickening crimson puddle as he fell to his knees. " _Shinji…_ " Gendo muttered as he collapsed into the pool of blood and disappeared from sight.

Shinji walked over to Misato, who was still crying. "Misato, are you ok?"

" _I don't know…_ " Misato muttered. " _Should I feel sad that he yelled at me, or scared because you killed him…?_ " Misato asked. " _It's all so confusing, Shinji. Tell me what I'm supposed to think… please…_ "

"Misato, what are you talking about?" Shinji asked as he reached out to her. "You can make up your own mind, you're the adult." As Shinji tried touching her, his hand passed right through her, and she too, like all the others, just disappeared.

"What is going on here?" Shinji asked himself. "No is acting like themselves… they're all acting like…"

" _You._ " A voice said from behind him.

Shinji spun around to see two familiar faces, one he was glad to see, and another who made his blood boil.

" _They were acting like you._ " Kaworu said.

" _They were simply projections of yourself._ " Rei added. " _Extensions of your psyche._ "

"Why are you here…" Shinji muttered through gritted teeth. "You're dead."

" _Ah… I'm not the Kaworu who treated you so… callously._ " Kaworu said.

"Then who are you?" Shinji asked.

" _Ikari, neither of us are the people you knew in your lifetime._ " Rei said. " _We are from different times._ "

"What are you talking about?" Shinji asked. "You're Rei, and he's Kaworu! How do you know who I am if I don't know you? It doesn't even make sense!"

" _Shinji, this will take a moment to explain._ " Rei said. " _Let us explain it in due course._ "

" _Well said, Rei._ " Kaworu said. " _Well said._ "

"Ok… so who are you?" Shinji said. "You look just like Rei… and he's just like that Angel."

" _We are… beings living outside of time._ " Rei said. " _Removed from the flow of time by a serious of unfortunate and extraordinary events._ "

" _We are trapped here, in the void, unable to really do anything until this comes along._ " Kaworu added. " _We just get to sit back and watch everything happen, over and over again._ "

"Do you mean instrumentality?" Shinji asked.

" _Yes, Shinji, we do._ " Rei replied. " _I have been trapped here since the beginning._ "

"The beginning?" Shinji asked.

" _Of the cycle._ " Rei said. " _The first time Third Impact occurred, we became stuck in a temporal causality loop… at the time, after being granted the power of a god, I didn't not realize the implications of this. I was removed from being able to break the cycle, I could not exert my influence outside of this space. I watched as your former self ended the world and then regretted his decision and wanted it remade. But when he did, he did not have enough power to bring the world back from the brink, he could not reform everyone as he wanted to… so he was left alone and slowly went insane as he waited until finally someone else came out too… Asuka. There he tried to choke her, thinking she was an illusion, but he was mistaken, and within a few weeks, they had reconciled somewhat, but that was as far as it went. They were the only two to return, and as they drew their last breath together, the world reset anew._ "

Shinji stared blankly at Rei. "Do… do you mean?"

" _Yes, they killed themselves and died together._ " Rei said. " _That was all they had left… they could not be bear to be alone… they wanted to end it. But then, I watched as the next cycle began… I saw another Shinji for a brief moment in the real world, right before the Third Angel attacked you at the train station… it is almost a universal constant, I get to see you in that moment, whether you see me or not, I know it has begun again. I was alone for a very long time, sometimes, I saw you fail and instrumentality began another way, and others, you came so close to making the right decision. Sometimes it wasn't even you that stood before me. Sometimes it was Asuka, other times it was Toji, I even saw myself on a few occasions, as a normal girl, someone not tainted by Lilith. There were a few times that the lives of everyone outside of here went on normally, without the Evangelions ever needing to exist. But then one day, Kaworu arrived. He died when a different you initiated a Fourth impact, trying to help, but you ended up making things worse…_ "

"Huh?" Shinji asked.

" _Oh, right, this is where I step in._ " Kaworu said. " _I watched you Shinji, you just wanted to help, but I died while I watched you, my head blown off by a collar Misato had forced you to wear, you watched me die, and I somehow ended up here… not that I mind the company of course…_ "

" _And then t was the two of us watching, constantly waiting for things to change, but they never did._ " Rei explained. " _For eons, countless cycles have completed and reset, leading to a whole slew of failed attempts to break us free. We simply never have the power. One Awakened Evangelion simply isn't enough to break us free…_ "

"Then what would be enough?" Shinji asked.

" _Four._ " Kaworu said. " _Four Awakened Evangelions and their pilots… with that much power the cycle can be broken._ "

"Why does the cycle need to be broken?" Shinji asked. "Does it need to be broken?"

" _In order for the Angels to finally be at peace, and for the world to truly be saved, yes, the cyclical nature of our lives need to end._ " Rei explained. " _The world needs to be freed from its isolation, so that we may live on, so that me and Kaworu can be freed from our prison here. The last Shinji tried… but we told him he did not have enough power._ "

"So, what happened?" Shinji asked.

" _The previous Shinji, the one before you, he was in a good place, and he didn't want the world to end… he wanted to help so much, we actually forced a rest of the cycle on purpose, and molded it in a way that would help._ " Rei explained.

"What did I… I mean he… do?" Shinji asked.

" _He did something no one else had thought of before._ " Kaworu continued. " _He forced the cycle to begin from before the usual point, all the way back to First Impact. While this wasn't the greatest thing for us to go through… he added some interesting stipulations to how instrumentality would function._ "

"Like what?" Shinji asked.

" _The other Shinji limited instrumentality's expansion so that everyone caught within it could be saved and brought back. He kept it from encompassing the whole world all at once so there was a chance everyone could be forced back from their warped, instrumentality induced reality. He also made sure that some bleed through of former memories would surface as dreams… but with that, the Angels also remembered everything that had happened… and that gave them an edge like never before. Some of them heeded the advice, while others ignored their dreams. But it seems to have worked out well enough, you're in a much better position than you normally are… with the admiration of your friends intact._ " Rei finished. " _But we do not have a lot of time to waste._ "

"What can I do?" Shinji asked. "I only have one Evangelion. You said I need four…"

" _You only need four to put things right for us._ " Kaworu said. " _One is just fine to reverse things a little bit, or to completely damn the world._ "

"So what can I do with one Evangelion?" Shinji asked.

" _Well, you can expand instrumentality and begin things with a fresh slate._ " Kaworu said.

"No, I don't want that." Shinji said. "The world doesn't deserve to live in bliss like this… it's not living at all without emotions… without a sense of death…"

" _Or, you can save the world and bring Tokyo–3 back from the ashes._ " Rei said. " _Everyone you know will be brought back from instrumentality and life will go on._ "

"That one sounds good." Shinji said.

"Be warned, Shinji, the cycle may not restart, but the danger is not over." Rei said. " _after third impact, things become impossible to predict… it is all unwritten, as it was never meant to be… instrumentality may still occur again and you or someone you love may be faced with this decision again… unless there are four Awakened Evangelions._ "

"It's worth the risk." Shinji said. "My life may not be perfect, but I'm happy now… happier than I've been in a long time. It just took so much to realize that…"

" _Then will it into being and make it so._ " Rei said.

"Hold on a sec… what about Misato?" Shinji asked. "She was almost dead when I left her. Will she be alright if I do this?"

" _So you did notice._ " Kaworu said. " _She would be brought back too… it's an all or nothing approach really. Bring everyone back… the souls are reformed into living bodies that are completely whole._ "

"So can I put everything like it was yesterday morning, Tokyo–3 still standing and everything, but make sure everyone remembers what happened, make sure the right amount of time has passed?" Shinji asked.

" _If that is what you choose._ " Rei said. " _Then so it will be._ "

"What about Rei?" Shinji asked. "I mean… you said you got trapped here… doesn't that mean she would…"

" _She would be trapped here as well._ " Rei said.

"No!" Shinji said loudly. "I'm not leaving here without my sister! She was trying to save us and I screwed it all up! I'm not letting her sacrifice herself again to save the rest of us, I refuse to let it happen again!"

" _Shinji, she is cannot leave._ " Kaworu said. " _She technically doesn't have her own soul…_ "

" _It is also not your fault._ " Rei said calmly. " _You cannot stop something that is an inevitability._ "

"Don't I have the power of a god or whatever?" Shinji asked. "Can't I just bring her back? Maybe without the Angel powers or something?"

" _You do, but that is beyond…_ " Kaworu began.

"How can it be beyond my power?" Shinji asked. "I won't leave someone I care about behind! I refuse to do something like that again!"

" _Shinji, it is not a matter of choosing whether or not to leave her behind, she was never meant to be._ " Rei said. " _Kaworu and I should never have been created in any timeline where we are made from Angel and human DNA._ "

"But it's not her fault she was created!" Shinji said angrily. "She has just as much right to live as anyone else! And I won't leave my sister here to be trapped!"

" _He is very adamant._ " Kaworu said. " _I mean, is it possible? No one's ever tried it before, right? Without the Angel powers, it should be possible… I think._ "

" _No, no one has ever tried to bring Rei back…_ " Rei muttered. " _Perhaps it is possible._ "

"So, can I do it or not?" Shinji asked.

" _Perhaps you can… seeing as you want it so badly…_ " Rei said calmly. " _You must really care for her._ "

"She's my friend." Shinji said. "Of course I care about her."

" _Then if you really want her to come back as she was, minus her Angelic A.T. Field powers… it should be able to be done._ " Rei said.

"Good." Shinji said. "So… uh… how do I do this?"

" _Just relax and concentrate._ " Rei said. " _Visualize what you want to do._ "

"How do I exclude those things that attacked us… the Mark II Evangelions?" Shinji asked.

" _Imagine them being gone, excluded from your vision, and focus on everything you want to come back._ " Rei said. " _And then wish with all your heart for it to happen._ "

"Then what?" Shinji said.

" _We'll see you at the next impact._ " Kaworu said.

"Will that really happen again?" Shinji asked.

" _We honestly do not know._ " Rei said. " _Just focus on setting the world right again, and everything will be fine._ "

"Right." Shinji said as he closed his eyes. "I want Tokyo–3 back… and everyone that got killed today… and everyone who's in here has to come back…" Shinji paused. "No Mark II Evangelions… no Lilith… and bring Rei back with us… but everyone needs to remember… no one should forget…"

" _Just focus._ " Rei said reassuringly. " _You can do this._ "

"I can do this…" Shinji said as he felt a surge of power rush through him and then he didn't feel anything at all.

* * *

January 1, 2017 – Geofront

Unit–01 awoke in a furious rage, Lilith still wrapped around its body. Unit–01's eyes lit up a bright red, with energy bleeding from them. It struggled against Lilith's continued hold on her, and the ground began to shake and Unit–01's head moved skyward as six wings of yellow orange light bursting from its back. With a surge of power, Unit–01 blew Lilith off of itself and rose into the air. Its arms extended outwards to the side and it let out a mighty roar as an orange energy field collected around it.

" ** _ROOOOAAAAAARRRRRRRRRR!_** "

The field exploded outwards, encompassing the purple blue sphere that had formed until it matched the extent instrumentality had gone to. The field began to cancel itself out and then it simply collapsed. Unit–01 landed back on the ground, the Geofront restored to its former state, with the hanging buildings of Tokyo–3 above them once more. Unit–01 positioned itself in front of Unit–02, facing the red Evangelion. Unit–01 stood tall and then shut down, going dormant like Unit–02 standing across from her.

As Unit–01 shut down, the sunlight began to pour into the Geofront, signally the start of a bright new day, and the beginning of a new year.

To Be Continued

* * *

A/N: I do not own Evangelion or any of the characters, GAINAX and the other distributors of NGE related material do. I am simply using them as a backdrop for my fanfic.

Sync Score Rankings!  
Shinji – 250.0% (+100.0%)  
Asuka – 125.0% (No Change)  
Mari – 95.5% (No Change)  
Rei – 20.0% (No Change)

So, the opening I decided to show the battle from a different perspective. We never get to see what the rest of the world saw when Third Impact happened, and how did people react to everything happening. And considering everyone was evacuated from the city, they would naturally be interested in seeing why they had to leave.

Now during instrumentality, Shinji didn't see his friends at all. They were all just projections of his own insecurities and faults. His fear (Mari), his inadequacy (Asuka), his inability to decide (Misato), and his rage (Gendo). The visualization of him "dealing" with these fears and putting them behind him will help him move on in the end, even if he didn't truly deal with them, he did take away a few lessons from hearing things for himself.

Finally, Shinji's discussion with Rei and Kaworu. Well, it goes over the basics of my interpretation of instrumentality. Rei (from NGE) has been trapped there since the original cycle, the show. She mentions in passing a few things that allude to the manga, and some of the spin off series, and Kaworu came along after he died in during a Fourth Impact as depicted in NTE. So with that, the two phantasms Shinji saw just before he saw Sachiel for the first time were those two. Now, they're trapped in instrumentality, or the reset portion of reality. They can't do anything in real time because the planet (at the very least) is stuck in an infinite and finite loop that can't be broken by a single Evangelion. So, they give Shinji some advice, and he chooses to restore things almost to the way they were, minus Lilith hanging around and the MPEs reforming. Shinji also did not reconstitute Unit–XP. In his haste, he forgot about it, so it's gone now, leaving only Unit–01 and Unit–02 operational, and Unit–03 in a horrid state of disrepair.

As I said before, and will always say at the end of chapter, please leave comments, as I would like to try to improve the story going forward any way I can. And, hell, constructive criticism is a good thing.

* * *

つづく


	12. Aftermath; Looking to the Future

Neon Genesis Evangelion: Legacy  
Episode VI: Return of Reality

* * *

Chapter 12 – Aftermath; Looking to the Future  
January 1, 2017 – Geofront

Shinji awoke within Unit–01's Entry Plug. All he could see around him was darkness inside the Entry Plug as Unit–01 had shut down. He could still feel the tingle he felt in instrumentality, the flicker of power he'd had channeled through his very soul. He felt his body to see if he was all there and sighed in relief.

"So… it worked." Shinji muttered. "I'm back… right?"

Shinji pulled the manual release for his Entry Plug and felt it eject itself out the back, the hatch opened, spilling LCL all over the back of Unit–01. Shinji crawled out of Unit–01 and looked up at the sky only to see Tokyo–3 resting above him, bathed in the glow of the early morning light.

"Yeah… it worked." Shinji said happily as he looked over at Unit–02. "Asuka should be in there… I think…" Shinji mumbled. "I just have to go get her… tell her that is all over…"

Shinji clambered down Unit–01 and over to Unit–02. As he started climbing up, he felt a rush of LCL splash over him and he looked up and saw Unit–02's Entry Plug sticking out. He saw Asuka climb out and begin her decent. Shinji dropped back to the ground and waited for Asuka to climb down. As she dropped the last few feet to the ground, she recoiled as she saw Shinji.

"Asuka, what's wrong?" Shinji asked. "It's me."

"You… you choked me." Asuka stuttered. "You fucking choked me!"

"Asuka, that wasn't me." Shinji said. "You have to believe me."

"I… how do I know?" Asuka asked. "I mean, you almost killed me… how can I believe you won't do it again?!"

"Asuka, what else do you remember?" Shinji asked. "About what happened, I mean."

"Well… I saw the Angel grab you… and then… I felt like I was disappearing… and then there was just white everywhere." Asuka explained. "Then I saw you and I kissed you, but you pushed me away… and we argued for what seemed like forever… and you said such nasty things… I didn't think you were capable of saying that kind of stuff… and then… you… started choking me… you lifted me off the ground… you almost killed me!"

Shinji stepped towards Asuka as she recoiled again. "Asuka, I swear, it wasn't me." Shinji said. "I may be an idiot… but I'm not cruel… I'd never want to hurt you… and I'd never do that to you Asuka… don't you believe me?"

"I… after what just happened, I don't know what to believe anymore." Asuka said. "This could all be a lie again…"

Shinji rushed forward and kissed Asuka gently on the lips before she could recoil. She hesitated for a moment, but then embraced Shinji as she recognized his gentle touch. Asuka had gotten so excited, she forgot to breath and had to pull away just to catch her breath.

"It really is you… baka." Asuka said. "I'm sorry I doubted you."

"It's ok, Asuka." Shinji replied. "It was weird in there."

"So, what happened?" Asuka asked. "I mean with you that is."

"It's a long story." Shinji said. "But it ends with everything getting fixed."

"What?" Asuka asked.

"Look up." Shinji replied.

Asuka looked up and her eyes widened. "What the fuck…?" Asuka said in utter disbelief.

"Like I said, it's a long story." Shinji said. "But at least it has a happy ending."

"So… what should we do?" Asuka asked. "I mean… are we safe?"

"I don't know." Shinji said. "Maybe we should look for Mari and Rei…"

"Wait, wasn't Rei under the hand when you cut it off?" Asuka asked. "Wouldn't that make her… dead?"

"No." Shinji said. "She should have come back like everyone else."

"Come back?" Asuka asked. "From what?"

"Instrumentality." Shinji said. "It's… complicated."

"Well, explain it to me, baka." Asuka said. "I'm not an idiot, ya know."

"Asuka, it's just a lot to explain, and I'm really tired." Shinji said. "I just feel so… drained."

"Fine, but if you don't tell me, I'll beat it out of you." Asuka said.

"I promise, Asuka." Shinji said. "Come on, we should look for those two."

"Who are you looking for, puppy?" Mari asked.

"Well, I'm looking for Rei and… Mari!" Shinji said brightly. "You're alright!"

"Why wouldn't I be?" Mari asked. "I mean… it wasn't the best day, and I'm gonna try and repress most of what's happened for sure, but we're alive, aren't we? And the weirdness is…" Mari looked up. "Didn't that get blown up?"

"Shinji said it got fixed." Asuka said. "But he won't explain it."

"I said it was a long story." Shinji said defensively. "It'll take too long to explain right now…" Shinji looked at Mari. "Besides, I'm not the only one who has some explaining to do about things."

"You know, he's right." Asuka said. "You apparently knew our mothers."

"Well… I mean… how do you know, princess?" Mari asked nervously.

"My mother told me." Asuka said. "Unless that was a dream."

"No… it's not a dream." Mari said sheepishly. "It's also a long story that I don't want to talk about quite yet."

"Why not?" Asuka asked. "I'm not mad… I just… I just want to know what my mother was like…" Asuka blushed. "I mean, you'd know what she was like… right?"

"I would, Asuka." Mari said. "I just… it's still painful to think about everything from before. I remember the world before Second Impact… it's just changed so much… it's a lot to process alone, ya know?"

"Not really." Shinji said. "But you don't have to hide it anymore." Shinji looked down. "And I am… I'm really sorry…"

Mari walked up to Shinji and kissed him on the forehead. "I forgive you, Shinji." Mari said. "I should have told you sooner… I just didn't know how."

"Oh, get over it." Asuka said. "What you need to figure out now is how to tell Misato."

"Huh?" Mari asked. "I can't tell her… she won't want me…"

"We'll tell her together." Shinji said. "When we tell her everything else that's happened."

"Good…" Mari said. "So, should we find our way back? It looks like we're all accounted for. Anyone missing any limbs?"

"Not anymore." Asuka said.

"Well, we still have to find Rei." Shinji said.

"Where, we don't know where she is." Mari said.

"Actually we do." Asuka said. "She came out here and fought with us. Hell, she saved your dumb ass first."

"For us." Shinji corrected. "When Lilith got back up… she got absorbed."

"Well… from my experience, it's not the most enjoyable thing in the world." Mari quipped.

"How would you…?" Asuka asked.

"It's a long story, princess." Mari said. "So, where should we look?"

"You don't have to look." Rei said. "You're all quite loud."

"Rei!" Shinji said happily as he ran to her and gave her a big hug. "I'm so glad you're ok!"

"Why would I be any different?" Rei asked.

"I don't know… maybe it had something to do with you tossing that Angel around like a ragdoll." Asuka said.

"I was only trying to assist…" Rei began.

"Well, you did." Asuka said. "You did better than we did."

"I did?" Rei asked.

"Yeah!" Asuka said excitedly. "But how did you… you know… do that?"

"I…" Rei muttered.

"It's ok, Rei." Shinji said. "You don't have to explain. Mari and I know."

"You were there that night, weren't you?" Rei asked. "When Dr. Akagi destroyed… me."

"Yes." Shinji said.

"Unfortunately…" Mari mumbled.

"I am sorry you had to… see all that." Rei said. "But… you know and you still care about me? The both of you?"

"Of course, Rei." Shinji said. "How could I not?"

"I'm glad your father was so wrong about you." Rei said. "I'm very glad you shot him."

"What?!" Asuka and Mari shouted in unison.

"Oh… yeah I forgot to mention that." Shinji said.

"Listen, baka, you better explain all this to me!" Asuka said. "And that goes for you two too! I feel like I missed all the interesting shit!"

"How about in the morning?" Shinji said. "Once we've slept and everything."

"Sounds good to me." Mari said. "It'll be nice to have us all under one roof again."

"May I go home with you?" Rei asked. "I would rather not be alone anymore."

"Sure!" Shinji said. "I mean… if that's ok with them."

"I'm fine with it." Asuka said.

"I don't mind…" Mari said as she blushed slightly.

"So… how do we get out of here?" Shinji asked. "I mean… where's the door?"

"This way." Rei said.

"No need." Mari said as she pointed to some trucks approaching. "Looks like we've got ourselves a ride."

Asuka recoiled a bit. "Those are NERV trucks, right?" Asuka asked. "I've had enough of the JSSDF for one lifetime."

"No, they are NERV recovery trucks." Rei said. "I have seen them enough."

Shinji couldn't help but smile. "I think we're gonna be ok."

"I sure hope so." Asuka quipped. "I've had enough fighting for a lifetime."

* * *

January 2, 2017 – NERV HQ, Living Quarters

It had been a long night. Upon seeing Misato safe and sound, Shinji ran to her and hugged her, but that was the only fun thing that happened for several long and grueling hours. After talking with Misato for what seemed like hours in a debriefing of sorts, Shinji and the others were finally sent to one of the larger living quarters on the base. However, instead of sleeping, they decided to talk, and talk they did. Mari started by nervously explaining her life, or at least what she cared to share right away, her life at school with Shinji and Asuka's mothers. Then Rei explained about her birth, and her powers, and why she decided to help. Asuka didn't say much, she bragged about the fight she had, but other than that, she was just waiting to hear about what happened with Shinji, and what he meant by a long, complicated story. When it was Shinji's turn, it took him a while to explain everything that happened. For Asuka's sake, he left out their activities the night before the battle and told them everything he could about what his father said, about what Misato did, why he shot his father, and then he talked about what happened to Asuka, how he felt watching her die, and then how she was saved. When Shinji got to instrumentality, he stopped. With some polite urging from Asuka, Shinji discussed everything he saw, and his meeting with the astral Rei and Kaworu. Everything he was told he passed on to his friends. And when he finished, they were all very confused and decided to sleep on what they had discussed.

When they woke up, it was very late in the afternoon, and none of them really had processed what had been discussed. So they silently agreed to defer talking about anything until they'd sorted things out. However, Shinji had already sorted one thing out he wanted to get off his chest, and decided to break the silence.

"Rei?" Shinji asked.

"Yes, Shinji?" Rei asked.

"You told us your last name, Ayanami, comes from my… our great grandmother." Shinji said. "Right?"

"That's correct." Rei said. "Why?"

"Well… I mean… it seems wrong you don't get to use my… our mother's last name." Shinji said. "It's kind of unfair."

"Yeah, but your dad's name is Ikari, not your mom's." Asuka said.

"Nope." Mari said. "It was Rokubungi."

"What a fucking awful name." Asuka said. "Shinji Rokubungi… doesn't quite sound right does it, baka?"

"Nope." Shinji replied.

"Well, from what the professor said, he changed because he loved your mother so much." Mari said. "Others just assumed it was to distance himself from his shady past."

"Yeah, loved her enough to want to end the world and get her back…" Asuka mumbled. "What kind of fucking over the top plan is that?"

"The kind of plan that someone who views themselves as having nothing left to lose." Rei said. "That is just how he was."

"Anyway…" Mari said. "The point is, Ikari was never his name, it was Yui's."

"Right." Shinji said. "So this makes more sense." Shinji got up and sat next to Rei. "You should be allowed to use  _our_  mother's last name. You are my sister after all."

Rei felt her face grow hot as she blushed a deep crimson. "I… I don't know what to say…" Rei mumbled. "I…"

"Wundergirl, just say yes." Asuka said. "He's right, your DNA comes from his mother, you're basically his sister, and its only fair."

"So, I have a family?" Rei asked.

"As dysfunctional as we are, yes you do." Shinji said.

"Can I… call you onii–chan?" Rei asked.

"I guess…" Shinji said. "I'd be honored."

Rei hugged Shinji tightly. "Thank you onii–chan, for making me feel human."

"You are human, Rei." Shinji said. "You're just more special than most others."

"You've shown me something very important, onii–chan." Rei said quietly. "That the circumstances of one's birth are irrelevant; it is what you do with the gift of life that determines who you are." Rei smiled. "And I would be happy to do that as your sister, Rei Ayanami Ikari…"

"Oh my god, that's too cute, and I'm sorry to interrupt." Misato said as she snuck in.

"Jesus, stalker much, miso?!" Mari shouted in surprise.

"Sorry…" Misato said. "I was just wondering what you guys were talking about."

"Shinji and Rei are siblings because of her… origins." Mari said gruffly. "And Rei is now calling him onii–chan. That's about it, just a cute sibling moment, ya snoop."

"That's nice and all… but that's going to be a hard story to sell…" Misato began.

"Really?" Asuka asked. "All the lies about Second Impact, and this is a hard sell?"

"Well…" Misato began.

"Long lost IVF baby." Mari said. "His mom's egg, and a donor sperm, meet Shinji's younger half–sister. Parents died tragically, leaving the baby with one Gendo Ikari. Seems to fit along the lines of NERV bullshit we've been getting for a while now, right?"

"Wow… that could actually…" Misato muttered. "But we have other things to discuss besides a name change. Which we will deal with in a few days."

"Like what?" Mari asked.

"Like you can go home tomorrow." Misato said. "For whatever reason, which I still think has something to do with Unit–01's energy spike, and contrary to Shinji's vehement statements he had nothing to do with it, Tokyo–3 was reconstituted and has been deemed structurally safe. So, in the morning, you four can go home."

"What about the city itself?" Shinji asked. "When will everyone… come home?"

"A few days." Misato said.

"And won't you be coming home with us?" Shinji asked.

"Not as the Acting Commander of NERV." Misato replied.

"Why are you in command?" Mari asked. "What about Fuyutsuki?"

"He stepped down." Misato said. "I don't know what he's planning, but I'm the highest ranking officer left as a Lieutenant Colonel, so its all down to me."

"Damn him…" Mari muttered.

"Well, I do have some other news though." Misato replied. "After Rei gave us some direction, we found Ritsuko down in Rei's old…"

"Dungeon." Rei said.

"Yes, that." Misato replied. "She's been taken back into custody, and is safely locked away under heavily armed guard."

"What about my father?" Shinji asked.

"Well… there's no sign of him." Misato said. "But we're still looking, I'm sure we'll find a body soon enough. I mean, you hit him at least twice, Shinji."

"Yeah…" Shinji said.

"Hey, you did the right thing." Misato said. "Don't forget that."

"I won't." Shinji said.

"Well then…" Misato said. "Who wants lunch?"

"I'm not hungry." Asuka said. "I think I want to go back to sleep."

"Yeah, can we?" Mari asked. "It's not like we've got anything to do."

"Well… it can't hurt. I haven't slept in what feels like days…" Misato yawned. "But there's also someone waiting in the hallway for me to let him in…"

"Did you find Kaji?" Asuka asked without thinking, earning herself a look from Shinji and Mari. "What, she said 'he' I just said what popped to mind."

"No… its ok, Asuka." Misato murmured. "Hold on…"

Misato opened the door. "Wark!" Pen–Pen squawked happily as he waddled right up Shinji and tried hopping in his lap.

"He's missed you all." Misato said. "So, you guys can bring him home tomorrow."

"And we'll get some jerky on the way." Shinji said.

"WARK!" Pen–Pen squawked happily as he nuzzled Shinji, and then Asuka.

Rei smiled as she looked at everyone around her. "Shinji, you're right." Rei said as Misato settled down into a chair. "I do have a very dysfunctional family, and I would not want it any other way."

* * *

January 5, 2017 – Tokyo–3 South Metro Station

Shinji and the others were patiently waiting at the train station, just outside the main doors. They had left the apartment late that morning, because they had one again decided to sleep in because they had absolutely nothing to do and they had missed being in their own beds. With no school to attend, and no Evangelion related things to do, they really didn't feel like they'd have to get up in the morning. But Shinji woke everyone up to go meet their friends, who they assumed would be brought back on one of the many evacuation trains coming back from Tokyo–2 that day.

As they got to the station, Shinji couldn't help but notice the stream of people coming out of the station already, and wondered how many people had come back.

"Wow… how many people got moved to Tokyo–2?" Shinji asked.

"Well, probably half the population at the very least." Mari said. "And you're sure those four went to Tokyo–2?"

"Misato confirmed it in the evacuation manifests." Rei said. "They left on the late train."

"And I heard it when I said goodbye." Shinji added. "They should be back at some point."

"Yeah, but when?" Asuka asked impatiently. "I don't want to be waiting here forever."

"What do you have to do today?" Mari asked.

"Sleep." Asuka said. "I just want to sleep."

"Well, that can wait." Mari quipped. "It's not like it'll kill you to stay awake."

"Bite me, four eyes." Asuka grumbled.

"Where?" Mari asked.

"Ok, stop you two." Shinji said. "Let's just act like adults and wait patiently."

"Fine…" Asuka mumbled as the group settled in a waited for several hours.

They watched hundreds of people walk by them, some taking no notice of them as they walked past, and others shooing them furtive glances as they hurried home. Finally, after at least a dozen trains worth of people arriving, they finally saw who they were waiting for. Asuka had leaned against Shinji and fallen asleep standing up, braced against her boyfriend. When Shinji moved to point out their arriving friends, it startled Asuka awake, earning Shinji a rebuke.

"Baka, what the hell are you doing?!" Asuka asked angrily. "I was asleep!"

"Our friends are back, Asuka." Shinji said. "I'm sorry though…"

"No you're not, you did it on purpose!" Asuka said loudly, drawing the attention of their friends. "You're mad because I fell asleep!"

"Why would I be mad, Asuka?" Shinji asked. "You're always so cute when you're asleep."

"I… baka… gottverdammt…" Asuka muttered.

"Wow, this is a surprise." Hikari said as their friends met them. "We didn't think we'd be seeing you guys together anymore."

"Well, Shinji pulled his head out of his ass and apologized." Asuka said. "And we're back together, aren't we?"

"What?" Shinji asked. "Yeah… I messed up…"

"But it wasn't all his fault though." Asuka added.

"We know." Toji said. "Shinji explained things before we left."

"And we saw everything!" Sakura said proudly. "Asuka, you fight so well!"

"Huh?" Asuka asked.

"Yeah… how did you see it?" Rei asked. "I doubt the government would show a…"

"Slaughter." Mari finished.

"Some NERV techs hacked into the satellite feed and streamed the whole thing." Kensuke said. "IT was really cool… at least until…"

"Yeah, we know." Shinji said. "I'm sure it didn't look any better from space."

"Nope." Hikari said. "It was… brutal."

"I'm just glad you all came out alive." Toji said. "Hikari thought you guys were goners."

"I did not!" Hikari said defensively. "I just didn't see how they could survive!"

"Hey, relax." Toji said. "I'm only kidding."

"It's not very funny…" Hikari muttered.

"We know you'd never say that, freckles." Mari said brightly.

"We're just surprised the city is still here." Kensuke said in a hushed voice. "I mean, it was destroyed, right? We didn't just imagine that and the battle did we?"

"No, it happened." Rei said. "Everything you saw was reality."

"So… can you tell us about it?" Sakura asked, her voice quivering with anticipation.

"Yeah, but not here." Mari said brightly. "Come with us to the apartment, there's a lot to tell you about."

"How much?" Kensuke inquired.

"Everything." Asuka replied. "No more secrets… I'm tired of hiding things."

"Won't you get in trouble?" Hikari asked.

"Shinji just saved the world, they can't do anything to him." Asuka said proudly. "So any problems anyone has with us telling you can shove it up their ass."

* * *

January 8, 2017 – Tokyo–3, Old Hakone Quarter

Rei had gone back to her apartment, per Shinji's instructions, to go get some of her things. Wishing to go alone, she said she would only be a few hours and left. As Rei walked through the somewhat busy streets of Tokyo–3 towards the section that was still being torn down, where her own dilapidated apartment building was. As she got bearer to her apartment, the amount of people and cars around her diminished, and as Rei finally got to her building and began climbing the stairs, she sighed.

"I now know why I was never allowed to move in with them." Rei said to herself. "I was supposed to be isolated from everyone… so that I would sacrifice my life for instrumentality."

Rei looked around her grubby apartment and grimaced. "I could have lived in more comfort if Ikari had let me leave… but I was trapped and unable to do anything for myself… but that appears to be changing."

Rei rummaged around for something to move her clothes in, and found a small, battered suitcase she could use. She began grabbing a few essentials from what little she had and neatly packed the case in less than an hour, pondering something that had been nagging at her since she had begun sleeping at Misato's apartment.

"How will I live so close to Mari?" Rei wondered. "I do not wish to become too close to her again… I may still have feelings for her, but I do not yet fully understand my emotions… and I also can't quite trust her either." Rei grimaced again. "I can understand her hiding her true intentions from us all, but it does make me wonder if she sees my mother in me… and if I'm really the one she's… infatuated with. She's lied this well for so long… she may still be hiding secrets we don't know about yet… something I'm too familiar with to want to repeat." Rei paused. "I should keep my distance for now. But we will become friends again, but that's where it will stop. I do not want to be hurt again by anyone… but I know it will happen, it is inevitable. I also don't want to hurt her again… I think Mari's had enough heartache in her life… and no deserves to have their heart broken by the same person more than once…" Rei sighed. "Perhaps it would be best if I ask onii–chan's advice. He might be able to help me understand."

As Rei grabbed her suitcase to leave she looked around one more time. "I will have to come back here again… but for now… I'm glad I'm leaving my past behind. I just hope it doesn't catch up to me ever again."

* * *

January 10, 2017 – NERV HQ

It had been several days since the city had begun to refill. The night their friends had returned, Shinji had shared the true story of what happened with Hikari, Toji, Kensuke, and Sakura, along with Misato, who Mari thought should know the truth, in an unofficial capacity. Everyone was floored by what happened, but were not overly surprised Unit–01 was capable of such a feat. If that wasn't enough, Rei and Mari also explained about themselves, which freaked out their friends a bit, but Misato sat there, unfazed. All she said was to keep all this a secret and to never tell anyone else, and to not discuss it in public, and everyone agreed.

Since that night, things had begun to return to normal, albeit the lack of school wasn't a problem, but it left an awful lot of free time available the pilots had never really experienced before. They hung out and did what they wanted, while Misato had basically moved into NERV, as being in command now took up an extraordinary amount of her time.

After having not seen or heard from Misato for several days, Shinji, Asuka, Mari, and Rei had been called to NERV HQ by none other than Misato. She had told them to get there very quickly. So, with doing little more than getting dressed, the four of them set off to NERV for what was hopefully the last time.

When they got there, they were ushered in under heavy guard as they saw a bunch of people in civilian clothing wandering around giving them funny looks as they passed. They were led to an unfamiliar part of the building and into a conference room with Misato. Three people in nice suits were talking to her as they entered. Misato had a grim look on her face, and as the trio of stuffed shirts walked past, they glanced at the kids and gave disappointed looks to them. Misato followed them to the door and shut it behind them, leaving the kids alone with just her.

"The fuck was that?" Mari asked. "Who were the suits?"

"The United Nations representatives." Misato said. "They were here to inform me of some… stuff."

"What kind of stuff?" Mari asked.

"The official kind." Misato said. "About the fallout from Third Impact… and the fate of NERV."

"That doesn't sound good…" Shinji muttered.

"No, actually, we're not too worse for wear." Misato said. "But it is official… I am in charge of NERV."

"Huh?" Asuka asked.

"I've been promoted to Colonel by the U.N. and been given the title of Provisional Commander of NERV." Misato said. "I'll report directly to the U.N. Security Council, but I'll be in charge of the day to day stuff."

"So… you're not gonna be home a lot anymore, are you?" Shinji asked.

"Not for a few months anyway." Misato said. "There's a lot to go over with everything that's happened."

"So, what's happened?" Asuka asked.

"Yeah, why isn't Fuyutsuki taking over, miso?" Mari asked. "He did outrank you, right?"

"Yes, but…" Misato said. "He was taken into custody three days ago by the U.N."

"He what?!" Mari shouted.

"He turned himself to keep NERV safe." Misato said. "He's going to tell them everything, although he assured me that Mari and Rei's true identities will be kept safe."

"Why is he doing that though?" Shinji asked.

"Because of your father." Misato said. "He's not around anymore, he's disappeared and nowhere to be found. So, the U.N. needs to make an example of someone, and he volunteered to be the public scapegoat. He's told them loads of juicy details about what was truly going on here, placed it all on the former Commander's lap. He's spilled the beans on SEELE and what your dad did, and all about the truth behind Second Impact."

"Holy shit…" Mari mumbled.

"He is an honorable man." Rei said.

"Yeah, he is." Asuka agreed.

"So… in the past three days, the U.N. has decided he'll be locked up for the rest of his life in a prison somewhere, medium security though because he's co–operating so much. The U.N. agreed to leave NERV open because of everything he's told them. When they went to arrest the members of SEELE, they had already fled their homes. Fuyutsuki apparently knew their reals names, all very old U.N. Delegates."

"So what does that mean?" Shinji asked.

"Instead of taking to trial where all this information can come out, it'll be kept quiet, Ritsuko will be locked up where no one can find her, and you four are to be left alone."

"Has anyone else been arrested?" Asuka asked. "I mean, there had to be hundreds of people who worked for those nut jobs."

"Thousands actually. Fuyutsuki gave them so much information, the U.N. was able to descend quite rapidly on everyone else." Misato said. "Your grandfather was among them."

"Good, that fucking asshole deserves prison." Asuka said. "What about my dick of a father? Did they nab that fucking cocksucker?"

"No… there wasn't enough information to hold him." Misato said disappointedly. "Sorry that it's not better news, Asuka."

"Scheisse…" Asuka muttered. "Stupid piece of shit is like a worm… always gets away from getting in real trouble…"

"Uh… what about the effects of Third Impact?" Shinji asked.

"There are none." Misato replied. "The sphere of LCL that formed never got too far. It stopped just short of Tokyo–2, and then it collapsed. Everyone is accounted for, even those that died before it was set off seemed to have come back… albeit with memoires of their deaths…"

"I bet those assholes in the tanks won't want to see me or Unit–02 again." Asuka bragged.

"Nor the ones in the cruiser, I imagine." Misato said. "But that won't be happening again."

"I would hope not." Mari said. "You just said we were free and clear. Fuyutsuki took all the blame and placed a load of shit on that asshole Gendo."

"No, it's not that, Mari." Misato said. "From all the indications we can see, Unit–01 and Unit–02 are now completely dormant, like they're in stasis."

"What do you mean?" Asuka asked.

"Well, the S2 Engines are no longer putting out any energy, and the readings from the Cores are at the bare minimum. They're barely registering any activity at all." Misato explained. "The same goes for Unit–00 and Unit–XP's former Cores. No activity whatsoever."

"So what does that mean for us?" Shinji asked.

"As of right now, you're all relieved from active duty." Misato said. "No more sync tests, no more prepping for Angels to attack, none of that shit. You can be normal kids for once."

"What about the EVAs?" Asuka asked. "I mean our moms…"

"No one knows about that but us and Maya." Misato said. "And probably Fuyutsuki and Ritsuko, but they're not here anymore. As far as the U.N is concerned, the Evangelions are a massive asset and will be kept around in case they're ever needed again."

"So we're free of them?" Rei asked.

"Yes." Misato said happily. "But, if the Angels somehow return, which I doubt, you'll all be recalled to active duty."

"So, is that it then?" Mari asked.

"Not quite." Misato said. "Seeing as you're no longer active duty pilots, you won't be able to lie with me anymore."

"What?!" Asuka shouted.

"Misato, that's not fair…" Shinji groaned.

"Total bullshit!" Mari said angrily.

"But… why?" Rei asked sullenly.

"However…" Misato continued. "I've put in papers to adopt you all officially. But before I submit the final bit of paperwork… I want to make sure everyone's ok with that."

"Why wouldn't I be?" Asuka asked. "You're a better parent then I've had in a while."

"I don't mind Misato." Shinji said. "You're my only family anyway…"

"Can I call you mom?" Mari asked.

"You're going to do that for me?" Rei asked.

"So it's settled then." Misato said brightly. "I'll finish the paperwork and send it off." Misato sighed. "However, while you three were already in my care, Rei was not."

"There's always a but…" Mari muttered.

"Until the paperwork goes through, the Commander's orders are still in effect. Rei will have to stay at her apartment at least four days a week, but she can stay with us the rest of the time, and sleep over three nights a week."

"That's dumb." Asuka said.

"That's just how the law is." Misato said. "But in the meantime, we'll need to get a bigger place to fit us all in."

"Wait, we have to move now?" Asuka asked.

"No, we're not moving somewhere else." Misato said. "I own the apartment building, we'll just move into one of the penthouses on the top floor."

"Really?" Shinji asked.

"Yeah, but with me busy here, it'll be up to you four to move us up there." Misato said. "Apartment 1401."

"That's great!" Ari said. "My own room!"

"Yeah, that does sound nice." Asuka said.

"How long before I can move in permanently?" Rei asked sullenly.

"Oh… well it'll be a few months." Misato replied. "But it'll fly by, don't worry."

"Ok." Rei replied.

"So, is that it miso?" Mari asked.

"Yeah, that's everything." Misato replied. "You can all head home now. I just wanted to tell you all this stuff in person."

"We get it." Asuka said. "And… thanks…"

"For?" Misato asked.

"Caring." Asuka said.

"Yeah, it's really nice of you to do that." Shinji said.

"Well, Shinji, do you mind staying for a moment?" Misato asked.

"Sure…" Shinji replied.

"Uh oh, someone's in trouble!" Mari said in a sing song voice.

"Oh, be quiet you." Asuka said as she flicked Mari's ear. "We'll wait for you by the elevator, baka."

"Ok." Shinji replied as the three of them left. "So, what is it, Misato?"

"Well… it's about you and the Evangelion and what you told me about… the other day." Misato said.

"What about it?" Shinji asked.

"Look, I told them I don't think the Angels are coming back… but I don't believe it myself." Misato said. "And if I had to trust someone to keep a secret like this, it would be you, Shinji."

"Why does it have to be a secret?" Shinji asked.

"We're not supposed to have pilots training at all." Misato said. "U.N. orders, but they're stupid orders I'm choosing to ignore for our own safety."

"So what do I do?" Shinji asked.

"A few times a month, you come down and do what you did before." Misato replied.

"Can't I tell Asuka?" Shinji asked. "I don't want to lie to her."

"You can't tell her." Misato said.

"But I need to tell someone." Shinji said. "If I'm gone for long stretches without an excuse, they'll start to wonder what's going on."

"Who would you trust to keep a secret?" Misato asked.

"Well, Mari is the best candidate." Shinji relied. "Rei is good, but she might till Asuka by mistake thinking she already knows."

"So, it's settled. Tell Mari and she'll help cover for you." Misato said.

"Yeah…" Shinji said.

"Are you ok, Shinji?" Misato asked.

"Yeah, it's just…" Shinji said. "I don't like lying to Asuka… but I know why she can't know. She'll want to help too… but I don't want her to have to get back in an Evangelion ever again."

"That's sweet of you, Shinji." Misato replied.

"Still… I just hope Asuka never finds out." Shinji said. "She'll kill me for lying to her."

"Well, I hope the Angels never come back." Misato said. "As long as they don't, you're in the clear, but if they do…"

"Then we're all in deep shit." Shinji replied.

End Episode VI

* * *

A/N: I do not own Evangelion or any of the characters, GAINAX and the other distributors of NGE related material do. I am simply using them as a backdrop for my fanfic.

Sync Score Rankings!  
Shinji – 250.0% (No Change)  
Asuka – 125.0% (No Change)  
Mari – 95.5% (No Change)  
Rei – 20.0% (No Change)

Not much to say for this chapter, as it's all laid out pretty well, at least in my opinion anyway. Instrumentality has been avoided and the kids get to live somewhat normal lives. Though Misato's fear is real and justified, having her force Shinji to keep his continued training a secret could cause repercussions down the line, but that's for another story. As for right now, everyone is feeling good, and the future looks bright.

The Angels Arc was a lot of fun to write, putting my own spin on the story any EVA fan knows by heart. I think I changed it enough to make a significant difference worth writing everything I did, and I do hope everyone enjoyed it. After 51 chapters of story (cause of that wonderful and successful crossover), and some significant pauses in between, this took the better part of fourteen months to release. I'd like to thank all my readers for your continued support. Even seeing people read the chapters brightens my day pretty significantly. It's been fun so far, but thankfully for anyone who enjoys the story, it's not quite over yet, there's still another story arc to be told.

Next up! Neon Genesis Evangelion: Legacy – Episode VII: Awakenings.

Please read and enjoy!

As I said before, and will always say at the end of chapter, please leave comments, as I would like to try to improve the story going forward any way I can. And, hell, constructive criticism is a good thing.

* * *

つづく


End file.
